A Change in History
by PraetorFable
Summary: Fiore and The Magic Council were never formed, leaving legal and dark guilds to live by their own terms. Lucy Heartfilia is on the run from her home, desperate to find a home in the famous guild known as Fairy Tail. With the Dark Guilds running amok outside of the safe cities, and war being threatened everyday, will she manage to adapt to the life of a Fairy Tail mage?
1. Chapter 1

_**A Change in History**_

 _One small event was all it took to change history. The Magic Council was never formed, leaving the mages to live their lives as they saw fit. There have been many wars throughout the course of history, claiming countless lives. With the outlying villages being run by guilds wanting nothing more than power, and the alliance in favor of a united Fiore wavering, how will this one small event in the past continue to alter the course of history?_

 **Chapter One**

300 years ago, after the age of the dragons had passed, there had once been a small group of people within the land of Fiore that set out to form a council that would oversee and manage the mages of their land. Following the terror of Zeref, their goal was to prevent the possibility of a single mage ever becoming so powerful again, that they could control the world. They wanted to ensure peace for humanity.

It failed. Before the group had begun settling down and begin constructing their new home, they were attacked. Their supplies were burned, the land was pillaged, and they were all slain. No one ever found out who led the attack, but because of the devastation left behind, it scared away any others that had been willing to give it a try.

Humanity stuck to their villages and towns, choosing rather to remain to themselves and their neighbors instead of risking destruction. There were groups that were friendlier, choosing to leave their borders open and accept new people into their communities. But others shut their gates, closing themselves off from the outside world.

Things proceeded as such for years. Each kept to their own, and there was relative peace between the communities.

But it did not last forever. And eventually, the communities grew greedy. They wanted more land, more resources, but most importantly, they wanted more magic power. The stronger villages began to send out mages, ravaging the lands and pillaging the villages they thought to be beneath them.

As the raiding became increasingly worse over time, the villages devised a system to fight back against those who tried to do evil. Within the communities, they began gathering their mages together and forming groups. They would utilize their magic abilities and discover new ways to stop their enemies together. And eventually, these groups became known as the guilds.

The wars between the guilds were fierce, with some lasting only weeks, others lasted years. The greatest of them lasted decades. But no matter the length, they always ensured devastation for one of the parties involved.

Eventually, 110 years ago, a powerful family operating under the name of Fiore attempted to stand up and unite the land. Their goal was to end the fighting and bring peace once more to the land. They received support from many of the smaller towns, and even some from a few of the larger cities. But the larger, more formidable towns and cities that were known for their evil, opposed their goal fiercely. They didn't want anyone getting in the way of their power and fortune.

The war was devastating. Countless guilds were involved, and the magic that had been utilized left the north-eastern region of Fiore completely uninhabitable to this day. Over half of Fiore's guilds ended up wiped out of existence, with most of their mages killed. In the end, both sides agreed to a ceasefire. If the communities that did not wish to be a part of the unification were left alone, there would be no more bloodshed.

The cities and guilds that had supported the Fiore family had agreed to a make-shift alliance. If the day ever came where they had to defend themselves again, they wanted to ensure that they had each other's support.

And thus, time has passed. The communities that were a part of the alliance kept their doors open, allowing many escapes from the outlier villages to join if they agreed to keep the peace. But the outlying villages continued to pillage, striking where the alliance was weakest, and ensuring that from their point of view, they were the strongest city in the land.

Several strong guilds have emerged within the alliance. Fairy Tail, Phantom Lord, Sabretooth, Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, and Blue Pegasus are the forerunners of the alliance. But the outlying villages have their own negative reputation as well, with the most prominent guilds going by the names of Oracion Seis, Grimoire Heart, and Tartaros. Those three unified under the name of the Balam Alliance, which was the essentially the anti-Fiore alliance. There were quite a few other outlying guilds ruling over towns and villages, but the Balam Alliance stood above them all.

Since the great war, there had been relative peace within the land. The guilds have taken a prominent role in the development of their respective town or city. They now controlled the day-to-day life within the city, along with any policies and laws that may need to be enforced within their walls. Thus, leading to each community being known for the guild that represented them, rather than the cities official name.

There were a few daring families within the land of Fiore that managed to maintain their life outside the walls of a city. Although this would require an immense amount of wealth, along with the support from one of the guilds. Otherwise, you were guaranteed to perish.

The Heartfilia family was one of them. With Jude Heartfilia building up their estate from practically nothing years ago. He maintained his estate with his family and wealth, along with the support from an unknown guild. But with the passing of his wife years ago, it left him alone in the estate with his only daughter. A daughter who recently ran away from the estate, in search of one specific guild…

* * *

The gate was massive, easily larger than any other she had seen before and it dwarfed her in size. With a large, arching bridge going over the top and a giant lock keeping the two doors locked in place. The two towers on either side were no doubt filled with men, always on watch. Standing on top, three men dressed in uniform were watching her with suspicious eyes, with each grasping their spear tightly.

Switching back to the city gate, she noticed the bright white and red banners hanging from each of the corner posts. Taking in the symbol stretched across each of the banners, she let out a breath she had been involuntarily holding. After weeks of non-stop running, barely being able to eat, and countless hours of missed sleep… She was here.

She was a young girl, around the age of eighteen. Her clothes were ragged, with the seams torn and the edges jagged. Her shirt was a light blue, and she had on a pair of dark cargo pants, which only contained a few items. The blond hair that covered her face used to be shiny and clean but was now dark and matted with dirt.

Taking a step closer and calling up to the guards standing on top of the gate, she paused when the one in the middle raised a hand.

"Halt!" he yelled, angling his spear down at her. Although now that he had done so, she was able to make out the barrel of the gun that was welded onto the other side.

"Hands where I can see 'em!" he continued, to which she quickly complied, raising her hands above her head. "What business do you have here? I ain't ever seen you round here before!"

She glanced at the banner above the gate. She couldn't say that this kind of treatment wasn't expected. It was, but she had hoped that at least it would be a bit different here.

"I'm here seeking refuge. I ran away from home and need a safe place to stay."

The guards glanced at each other quickly and muttered a few words to each other before turning back to her with a wary glance. "I'm sorry," the one on the left started, "We can't let anyone in without good reason. Perhaps if there was someone you knew in town that can speak on your behalf?"

A spark of panic erupted in the back of her head, but she quickly quelled it. She couldn't afford to panic now, not when she was so close. When she had come so far. But there was no one in town she knew, let alone someone that would speak up for her.

Clenching her fist, she could feel the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. This was her last option. There was nowhere else to go. If she was forced to go back out into the wilderness, she'd be lucky to survive for more than a month. But she refused to go back.

Looking back at the men, she was preparing to ask again when a voice stopped her.

"What's your name?"

The guards all straightened as they stood at attention. They raised their hands to salute while yelling, "Sir!"

Turning around, she spotted the mystery speaker. They stood just in the tree line behind her, with the hood covering his face, she couldn't see much besides the few strands of pink hair sticking out from the edges. He wore a plain black best and left it undone, showing off his toned body. There was a white scarf wrapped around his neck, which almost looked like it was made of scales. And to finish off the look, he wore a pair of white, baggy pants and a pair of simple sandals to cover his feet.

As the girl could only stare at him in stunned silence, the figure grew closer. He came to a stop a few feet away from her and stared up at the guards. As he watched, he buried his hands in his pockets.

"Well?" he questioned, causing the girl's cheeks to heat up.

"L-Lucy." she stuttered.

She could have sworn that a small flame shot out from under the hood when he let out a light laugh, "Lucy… who?"

That made her pause. Her last name was something that she had been hoping to hide for as long as possible. As soon as someone learned who she was, there was no doubt they would turn her away. Her father did a very good job at making sure that much of the continent hated them.

"A-Ashley," she managed. Not a total lie… Ashley was her middle name.

"Lucy Ashley." The figure chuckled, and once more Lucy could've sworn a flame shot out from the hood. "That's a weird name."

Feeling her cheeks grow warm again, she was going to defend her pride until the figure spoke up. "So, why are you here, Lucy Ashley?"

Her gaze fell to the ground. She grabbed onto a mud-coated strand of her hair that was hanging in front of her eyes. "I ran away from home."

Silence permeated the air, and for a second Lucy was afraid that the man was going to leave. But after a moment, the boy let out a sigh, and Lucy couldn't tell if he was tired or saddened by something.

"I see," he started, "So you came here looking for Fairy Tail, correct?"

Nodding her head, Lucy watched as the man reached up with his right hand and grabbed the edge of his hood. "Well, then you're in luck." he spoke before pulling down the hood to reveal a head of wild pink hair. "I'm Natsu Dragneel. I'm a member of Fairy Tail!"

As he finished, he turned his body and pointed at his right shoulder with his opposite hand. The skin on his shoulder began to shimmer, and before long a dark red mark appeared. It didn't take her long to recognize what it meant, and she couldn't help but smile in relief.

Before she could respond, Natsu grabbed onto her hand and began to pull her with him. As they got closer to the gates, the guards didn't hesitate in opening them up for the Fairy Tail mage, although they did give Lucy once last wary look before the pair turned out of their site. They stepped onto a long, cobble road that stretched from the entrance of town by the forest, to the other side of town by the beach. Staring far down the road, she was able to make out the large, multi-story Fairy Tail Guild at the end.

She hadn't been able to see it from the outside, but without the giant walls blocking the view of the city, it looked like a flourishing town. Children ran throughout the streets, laughing as they played with their friends. While the adults hustled to and fro, going about their daily lives.

There were plenty of buildings, ranging from small, one-story homes, to sprawling ten-story apartment complexes. Off in the east side of town, she was able to make out the large town hall, although it was dwarfed by the guildhall.

She hadn't seen anything like this before. Her father had always kept her locked up inside their estate, having been too afraid to go out in public. With the constant war raging on between the guilds, he had never wanted to take the chance of leaving their wealth unattended.

Natsu began to tug on her hand harder, causing her to stumble forward. "Come on!" he exclaimed, a cheeky grin forming on his face. "We still have a bit to walk before we get there!"

Feeling a small smile begin to settle on her face, Lucy quickly made to follow him. Natsu pulled her through the street, pushing through the crowds the lined the streets on their way to their destination. Eventually, after what seemed like a mile of walking, they came to a stop at the front doors. Although not as large at the gates to the city, they still towered over Lucy.

Looking up at the pink-haired teen beside her, the small smile on her face widened.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Lucy!"

* * *

 **Welcome to the first chapter of my new story! Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you thought of the first chapter! I hope to turn this into something great!**

 **The original concept and idea for this story belongs to _Undying Soul98_ , who has it listed under his profile as _The War Never Ends._**

 **Despite the cheerier tone at the end, this will be a darker tale. Things are not easy in this world, wars are a common occurrence between the 'dark' or outlying guilds and the 'alliance' or legal guilds. _SLIGHT SPOILER_ \- There will be deaths.**

 **Thanks to everyone for showing massive amounts of support on my other works as well. It means the world to me.**

 **Until next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Lucy thought the town had been amazing but standing inside of the Fairy Tail guildhall was an entirely different story.

Waves of magic flew throughout the air. Mages of all kinds ran to and fro. There was even a fight going on in the corner of the hall, but from the cheers and screams from the nearby bystanders, it seemed to be a friendly duel.

With a ceiling that reached high into the air, and reinforced stone walls, it looked nothing short of a castle. Banners with the Fairy Tail symbol hung from the rafters above, and the chandeliers were aflame to provide light for the people below. Row after row of benches and tables lined the main floor, with many of them being occupied. Directly opposite of the entrance sat a large bar, where there were a few people behind the counter rushing to serve the large crowds.

Off to her left, there was a large stage, with bright red curtains shielding the main platform from view. Nearby the stage, a large staircase led up to an open second floor, where Lucy was just about able to make out a few more benches and a small board with some papers pinned to it.

Turning in the opposite direction, she found another notice board. It looked to be a larger variation of the one that was upstairs, and it had countless papers attached. Many of the mages stood by there, and if she had to guess, she would say that it was the mission board.

It something that Lucy had never experienced before, and she couldn't help the large smile from forming on her face. When she had visited other guilds with her father, they had been nothing but drab and serious. The mages rarely showed of their magic, and there always seemed to be nothing memorable about them.

As Natsu continued to pull on her hand, leading her deeper into the vast hall, they were eventually stopped by a white-haired girl. The girl looked to be around her age, with a similarly shaped figure. The black dress with white frills she wore only served to accentuate her beauty.

"Welcome back, Natsu!" the girl chirped, offering a bright smile. "I suppose the mission went well?"

Natsu let out a small chuckle and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yep! It was a piece of cake as usual."

Turning towards Lucy, the girl's smile never lessened as she held out a hand. "I see you've brought someone back with you! Nice to meet you. I'm Mirajane."

Lucy's eyes widened in realization. "You're _the_ Mirajane?" she practically squealed, making Natsu block his ears. "I've heard so much about your work!"

Mirajane was a famous name throughout Fiore. During her time as an active mage, she had been the poster-girl for many of the Alliance's attempts at recruiting more mages to their side. Walking through any Alliance town would result in seeing posters or magazines with her face plastered all over them.

"Oh yeah?" Mira giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "Well it's not much."

"Not much?!" Lucy exclaimed incredulously. "Your work has resulted in hundreds of mages joining the Alliance!"

Although Mira nodded her head, Lucy could make out the incredulity in her eyes.

"While that may be true," Natsu interrupted, causing both girls to turn to him, "More mages are turning to the Dark Guilds as of late."

Lucy's spirit fell a bit at that. It was true. The whole country knew it. She had seen if first hand. It was one of the reasons for her ending up here, after all.

As if sensing the change in mood, Natsu tugged on her hand lightly again. "Let's not sit on that though. Come on, there's someone I want you to meet!"

She tried to resist the boy's tugging, but Natsu was too strong. "W-Wait!"

Sparing a quickly glance back at Mira, she was able to quickly scream, "I'm Lucy!" before she was dragged into the crowd.

After waving goodbye to Mira, Natsu began to pull her over to the bar. Weaving their way through the seemingly endless sea of people, they eventually managed to find a few empty seats.

Lucy flopped onto the padded stool, resting her head on the smooth, wooden bar. But her rest was soon interrupted by Natsu's yelling.

"Happy!" he screamed, his hands forming a cup around his mouth. "Happy, where are you?"

Off to their left, there was a muffled scream. Right as Natsu turned, a blue blur slammed into his face.

"Natsu!"

The voice was muffled, but as the blue creature separated itself from Natsu's face and landed on the bar, she was able to make out the fish hanging out of its mouth. But more importantly, she could finally decipher what kind of creature it was.

"A cat?!" She exclaimed, making Natsu and Happy turn to her. "A talking cat?!"

"Aye!" Happy shouted, taking a step towards her, a paw in the air.

"Aye!" Natsu repeated. "I found Happy as an egg a few years ago! He has been my best bud ever since he hatched!"

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed once more.

"Do you ever say anything else?" she questioned.

"Aye!"

Lucy rolled her eyes at the cat's response. Natsu turned towards Happy, arms flailing about wildly as he recounted his mission to the cat. The feline was completely enraptured by the story, and as the boy finished the cat sighed.

"I hope I can go on a mission with you one day." he murmured, causing Natsu to rub his head reassuringly.

"Don't worry little buddy, one day we will even go on S-Class missions together!"

Happy's eyes lit up at the thought. Raising a paw which Natsu aptly high-fived.

The sound of someone clearing their throat rang from their right. Turning, Lucy was able to make out the form of a small man standing on the counter only a few feet away. He was old, with a wispy white mustache, and a bald head besides the white hair that covered the edges.

He wore a white coat that had fur edging around the neck. It was laced with gold trim, giving it an elegant look. But underneath, he had on nothing more than a typical outfit.

"Natsu." he spoke, causing the boy in question to light up. "How was the mission?"

"Great!" Natsu cheered. Reaching into his cloak, he withdrew a small, folded piece of paper from one of the pockets before handing it to the master. "Their master wanted me to give you this."

The elder man took the paper and flicked it away with a flash of light, making Lucy's eyes widen in surprise. Finally seeming to notice Lucy's presence, the man turned towards her with a scrutinizing gaze.

"And it seems that you brought someone with you back to the guild."

Natsu grinned and slapped a hand on Lucy's shoulder, making her jump.

"Yep! Her names Lucy Ashley. Said she was lookin' for the guild!"

The man let out a low hum. Placing a small hand on his chin, he continued to gaze at her for a few moments. Eventually, seemingly satisfied, he dropped his hand and smiled.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Lucy." he spoke, "I assume that you wish to join the guild?"

Offering a shaky nod, Lucy watched as the man held his hand up. Just as the other paper had done, there was a bright flash of light on the palm of his hand, and suddenly there was a small item sitting within. Bringing it closer, she was able to make out that it was a stamp.

"I'm the master of this guild, Makarov Dreyar. But before you join, there are a few things that must be made clear."

At Lucy's nod, he continued, "Your reasoning for joining the guild does not matter to me, nor will it to anyone here. Everyone has their own stories and tales, but we do not let it define who we are."

Bending over, he delicately grabbed onto her hand and pulled it closer. "But once you are a part of this guild, a part of the Fiore Alliance, if you do anything to endanger any innocent within our territory, the consequences will be severe. Representing a guild should not be taken lightly. From here on out, you should be contemplating every decision before you make it."

Lucy was suddenly feeling very overwhelmed by his words. She understood that the guilds held most of the influence in the country, but she never fully understood the weight of the guild's decisions.

"Every decision you make will be under the name of Fairy Tail." he continued, "And once you have this mark, you will be a target for any Dark Guild that might be roaming outside of these walls. Any time you leave, you take your life into your own hands. Do you understand?"

Lucy could only offer a short nod. As he slowly pressed the stamp down on the top of her hand, she would've sworn it felt someone had replaced the small tool with a weight. She could sense Natsu and Happy cheering from her side, but from the master's words, it didn't really feel like a moment to celebrate.

As the master peeled off the stamp and released her hand, Lucy quickly withdrew the appendage and held it against her chest with the opposite hand. Staring down, she could make out the distinct, pink mark of the guild.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Lucy." he spoke, repeating the words that he had spoken only moments earlier. Although, now Lucy was able to sense the slight mirth behind them. But if she was being honest, it did nothing to lessen the new weight of responsibility she felt had just been placed on her shoulders.

Offering one last look at the two young teens, Makarov offered them another small smile.

"Well, I'll leave you two to it." he finished, before heading back over to his previous spot on the bar.

Clapping her on the back, Natsu smiled brightly.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Lucy!" he exclaimed. Happy was quick to follow, shouting an excited 'Aye!' as he went back to munching on his fish.

Before they were able to say anything else, there was an eruption of shouting to their right. As Lucy turned to look, she was able to make out the small form of a child standing next to the master.

"You don't know where my father is?!" the boy exclaimed, tears welling up in his eyes. "Then send someone out to get him!"

Master stared down at the boy with a concerned gaze, but only shook his head.

"Romeo, your father is a Fairy Tail mage, he is more than capable of handling himself out in the field."

The boy, Romeo, stomped his foot on the ground. It looked as if he might burst into tears at any moment, but his temper was seemingly keeping them at bay for the time being.

"Send someone to look for him, please! He was supposed to be home five days ago!"

The master shook his head once more, "Romeo, we have no S-Class mages available for a rescue mission. You know that I can't just send anyone out of town."

"If you won't help my father, then I hate you and I hate this guild!"

With those final words, the boy quickly stomped out of the guild. It was a child's typical temper tantrum, but Lucy couldn't say that it wasn't warranted. With the rumors of what went on outside of the cities, one could only guess what might have happened to Macao.

By her side, Natsu suddenly stood up. His fists were clenched by his side and he had a serious look on his face. One that almost looked out of place for how care-free he had been in the time that Lucy had known him.

"Gramps, I'll go look." he spoke, garnering the master's attention.

With a wave of his hand, and a quick shake of his head, the master shut down Natsu's proposal.

"But Gramps!" Natsu persisted, now catching the attention of much of the guild. "It won't take me long. What if something happened to the old man?"

Many of the guild members stared at Natsu with pitying looks, making it clear that there was something behind Natsu's persistence that Lucy had yet to learn. Catching on to her confusion, Happy jumped on the table next to Lucy and softly placed a palm onto her arm.

"Natsu's father left him when he was young." Happy explained, making Lucy's eyes widen in realization. "He doesn't want the same thing to happen to Romeo."

Before Lucy could respond, the master spoke once more.

"I will not send out any other mages, Natsu. My decision is final."

Natsu looked as if he was about ready to burst. "But Mas-"

"That's enough!" Makarov yelled, slamming his fist down on the bar. "You were lucky that I let you go out on your last mission alone! Until one of our S-Class mages return, no one is to leave Magnolia!"

* * *

"You know," he spoke, garnering her attention. "You really didn't have to come."

The wind was strong, causing the snow to lash against Lucy's skin as they continued the climb up the mountain. Having accepted Natsu's cloak long ago, she was able to preserve some of her body heat, but the thin cloth wasn't doing much. And seeing as how they were in the middle of the wilderness, on an unauthorized rescue mission, using magic would just garner unwanted attention.

"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?" she replied. "Besides, it looked like you were going to hurt someone. I just came to make sure you didn't make a fool of yourself."

Natsu strode beside her, wearing nothing more than the thin t-shirt, baggy pants, and boots he had on all day. Lucy noticed the scarf as well, but from what she had gathered, he didn't seem to separate himself from it often.

She couldn't help but feel envious at the lack of discomfort shown from the teen. Here they were, wading through freezing temperatures as a snow storm raged around them, and he was just walking as if it was a normal day.

Noticing her gaze, Natsu turned towards her and flashed her a cheeky smile, causing her cheeks to burn as she turned away.

"What's the matter, Luce? You cold or somethin'?"

Lucy's eyebrows furrowed at his words. Turning back to the boy, her narrowed eyes met his cheerful ones.

"Of course, I'm cold!" she yelled, pulling the cloak tighter around her figure, "It's freezing out here!"

Natsu seemed to contemplate her words for a moment, before shrugging. "It's not that cold."

If Lucy was willing to move her arms, then she would've smacked him.

"Of course, it's not cold for someone who can create fire, you idiot!" she huffed, "And what's with the name?"

"The name?" he paused, tapping his chin in consideration, "Well, I thought the nickname suited you! Do you like it?"

Lucy wasn't entirely sure how she felt about it. She supposed it was better than some other nicknames she could think of.

"It's fine." she answered.

Rolling his shoulders and lacing his fingers behind his head, Natsu looked forward once more.

"We do need to be careful," he spoke, "Being out here is technically against Magnolia law."

Lucy's head whipped towards the boy. "What?!"

"Besides the fact that we didn't get permission to leave by the master, travelling on this mountain was banned years ago."

He turned back towards Lucy, grinning. "Hopefully we don't get caught!"

The rest of the climb was quiet. Lucy desperately tried to keep herself warm, as Natsu continued unfazed. Eventually, they arrived at the entrance to a large cavern, and looking inside, there were clear signs of a fight. Chunks of the cavern walls were missing, along with large cracks spread throughout the cavern floor. Bits and pieces of the cavern were also charred, with one lone spot on the far end of the cavern still smoking.

"What happened?" Lucy muttered, following Natsu as he took a few steps inside.

Natsu bent over the smoking pile of rubble, lightly touching. Sniffing the air, a serious look adorned his face as he straightened back up and turned towards Lucy.

"It's definitely Macao's magic." he spoke. "I've eaten enough of it before to recognize it anywhere."

Lucy paused.

"Eaten?" she muttered.

Natsu nodded.

"Eaten."

The pair stared at each other for a few moments. Natsu with an impassive gaze, while Lucy wore an incredulous one.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Allowing for his lips to crack into a small smile, Natsu explained.

"It's part of my magic, Luce. I'm a fire dragon slayer."

Lucy just pulled the cloak around her tighter and sighed. She decided that it would be best to leave it at that and have him show her later.

Turning away to look around the cave, she eventually noticed something out of place in the snow. Waddling through the thick snow, she slowly made her way over. Slithering her arm out of the confines of her cloak, she grabbed onto the tip of the object that wasn't buried in the snow.

Attempting to pull it out, she grunted in frustration when it refused to budge. It was clearly larger, and deeper in the snow than she had anticipated.

"Natsu," she called, "Come over here."

The pink-haired teen quickly made his way over, noticing the item grasped in her hand. Reaching down, he grabbed on with both of his hands, and gave it a small tug. When it refused to budge, he pulled harder, and harder, until the item popped out of the snow, launching snow into the air as he fell backwards.

As the cold powder settled around them once more, Natsu brushed the snow off himself and shook out his hair. The black object was still tightly grasped in his hands.

Staring down at the object, Lucy guessed that it was a banner of sorts. It was made of cloth, with most of its surface being black. As Natsu straightened it out, and the center became clear, she was able to make out the bright red rose painted in the center.

Natsu swore, making Lucy turn towards him. He had a serious look on his face, and Lucy would swear that he was practically growling.

"Everlue."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**

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 **Let me know what you think? Many of the events will be changed during this story. I wonder what will happen next?**

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	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

As the pair made their way back down the mountain, Lucy sighed in relief as the air steadily grew warmer. To her right, Natsu strode beside her, telling her about Fairy Tail's history with Everlue.

"We've had a long history with Everlue." Natsu explained, grimacing.

Turning back to look towards him, she could see the anger radiating in his eyes. "He had kidnapped a few of our younger members a while back," Natsu continued, "When he refused to release them peacefully, Fairy Tail launched an attack."

Lucy could guess as to how that turned out. There had been plenty of times where an Alliance guild had attacked or even gone to war against some faction living outside of the towns. Even her father had run into a few issues with some guilds in the past, often leading to a very stressful next few weeks.

"We managed to get them back, but Everlue was strong. He had hired plenty of mercenaries and many of us were injured by the end." As he finished, he pulled up the sleeve of his vest, revealing a long, jagged scar tracing from the top of his shoulder down to the middle of his bicep. "This was from one of the mercenary mages. He was able to summon axes and control them in any way he wanted. Got me when I wasn't looking."

He let the sleeve fall back down, covering the scar. "Ever since then, it's been a constant rivalry with him. The sucker does anything he can to try and prevent us from achieving our goals. For the most part, it's just a minor inconvenience, but there are times when he has hurt us big time."

Lucy almost wanted to question him further, but as she noticed the stressful look upon his face, she held her tongue. Instead, she said, "Don't worry, Natsu. We will find Macao and bring him home."

He turned towards her with a small smile, running a hand through his hair. "Thanks," he spoke, letting his hand fall back to his side. "I'm surprised that you actually came. No one else would've, that's for sure."

"I-I'm not sure why I came," Lucy explained, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "I just felt that it was the right thing to do… And besides, like I said earlier, I have to make sure you don't end up doing something stupid."

He chuckled at her words, moving closer and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks as he raised his other hand and let out a cheer. "Well, the reasoning doesn't matter! It's just great that you came!"

Letting go, he pointed down to the keys wrapped around her waist. "Besides, I still haven't gotten to see your magic yet!"

It was her turn to giggle. She unconsciously reached down and gripped her key-chain, shifting the keys between her fingers.

"I've been waiting to show you my spirits, actually. But it just takes a lot out of me, so I have to be careful of when I use them."

She noticed the slightly confused look on his face, but he nodded anyway. Turning back to face down the mountain path, he suddenly grinned and pointed with his index finger. "Look, Luce!" he shouted, "There's the beginning of the forest! We've finally reached the bottom of the mountain!"

* * *

It took them another three hours to finally reach the end of the forest, but that didn't stop Lucy from becoming disoriented from the seemingly endless number of trees. It was only when Natsu quickly grabbed her shoulder to prevent her from walking past the tree line that she finally noticed the gigantic structure in front of them.

The walls of the complex were large. Large enough that they were towering over Lucy's smaller form, and she could only just make out the tips of the mansion over the tips of the wall. The gate was made of iron, sturdy enough to be able to withstand any physical attack that could be thrown at it. And by the light golden glow that shone around the iron bars, she was sure that it had some form of magical enhancement as well.

It reminded her of her home; at least what her father had turned it into after her mother's death. She could make out the forms of a few people standing in front of the gate, large golden spears held in their right hands. Their uniforms were a dark-blue, with black boots. And even from the edge of the forest, Lucy could make out the bright-red roses pinned to their chest.

Turning back towards Natsu, she was taken aback by the intimidating look on his face.

"Wait here," he spoke, ignoring the quiet protest from Lucy as he pushed her head lower. Stepping out of the tree line, he ignored the guards as they turned towards him and lowered their spears, demanding that he stop. They tensed as he got further, with one even running back inside the gate to alert the others.

As Natsu came to a stop a few feet away from the guards, Lucy could see that he was talking with them, but she couldn't make out his words. Natsu seemed to pause as one of the guards turned towards the mansion and waved a hand. Suddenly, the earth behind Natsu erupted in a spray of rocks and dirt. As the earth settled and the dust cleared, Lucy could no longer see Natsu. There seemed to be a giant standing in the way. From the back, it looked like it was wearing a maid's uniform and had pink hair, but she couldn't make out any other details.

Natsu raised his arms in a placating manner, taking a few steps back. But before could get far, the maid quickly grabbed him, raising him high above her head. With a roar, the giant sent him flying back towards the forest. As Natsu's screams grew dimmer, the maid brushed her hands together before disappearing in a hole in the ground, with the guards resuming their former positions.

Lucy winced at the crack of Natsu's head hitting the tree. He collapsed to the ground moaning in pain. After he shakily pushed himself back to his feet, he turned towards her, rubbing his head.

"Well, that didn't work."

Lucy rolled her eyes, "You think?"

A small, cheeky grin formed at her words, and she couldn't help but find it slightly humorous as well. "We should find another way to get in." she continued.

He nodded in agreement. Grabbing onto her hand, he pulled her along the tree line. They moved around the Everlue complex, away from the eyes of the guards and main gate. Eventually, the forest met the edge of a large pond, and the pair stopped where the waves crashed against the land.

"If I remember correctly…" Natsu muttered, his words trailing off. He took a few steps into the water, not even bothering to take off his shoes. Bending over, he reached into the water, seemingly searching for something. It only took him a few more moments, but he eventually straightened back up, clutching something in his grasp.

"Here it is!" he exclaimed, hold up what looked to be a small rock. Lucy didn't understand what it meant, but from the excitement on his face, she assumed that it was something good.

He messed around with the object in his hands for a moment, poking and prodding at the surface. But eventually, with a puff of air being dispelled from within, the rock began to faintly glow.

"We used objects like this during the attack on the mansion," he explained, stepping back onto the land, "It's a magical stone created by the master. It allowed us to walk straight through the outer walls instantly."

He chuckled, "I guess that there are certain perks to having a master that is widely renowned such as ours."

Walking away from the pond and forest, they made their way up to the gigantic wall. There was a light hum in the air, one that signified the presence of a magical enchantment. Shivering, Lucy didn't really want to find out what kind it was.

Natsu walked up to the wall, inspecting the rough black brick that layered it before placing the small stone against it. It flickered red and green, before a beam appeared. Before Lucy could admire the magic, the lights disappeared, and a small doorway appeared, cutting a perfect arch straight through the wall.

"Well," Natsu spoke, turning back to Lucy with one hand outstretched, "You ready?"

* * *

The wooden floor creaked under their feet below. Every creak sent a wave of terror through Lucy, as she could only pray that no one heard them.

After making their way through the wall, they had quickly entered the mansion. Somehow, which Lucy still couldn't believe, they had made it in without being detected. Which was a miracle with how Natsu seemed to not understand how to stay quiet. Several times, Lucy had to practically jump on him in to prevent him from doing something stupid. Like trying to eat the fire from the grand fireplace.

They had eventually made their way downstairs, where Natsu had told her the dungeons had been last time. If anything, this didn't look like the home of a dungeon, if the regal tapestries and hundreds of self-portraits had anything to say about it. They littered the walls around them, covering almost every inch. Lucy was sure that all this decor had cost more than the original price to build the mansion.

There were doors spread evenly throughout the walls every few feet. Natsu stopped at every one, placing his ear against the polished wood and attempting to hear anything inside. So far, there had been no luck, and as they were approaching the last few doors, Lucy could feel her hope begin to dwindle.

But suddenly, Natsu jolted away from the door he had been listening to. Before Lucy could react, he sent a flaming fist toward the door, busting the door down. She jumped in fear, her head whipping back in the direction they came from, just waiting for an army of guards to begin pouring in. But after a few moments of silence, with no sign of any other people, she sighed in relief.

Turning back to Natsu, she found the hallway to be empty besides herself. Taking a few tentative steps towards the door, she grabbed onto the door-sill and pressed herself against the wall, peeking inside.

The room was nothing special, only containing a bed, small lamp, and a chair. A dingy old carpet was spread across the tiled floor. Natsu stood by the far end of the room, holding on to a long metal chain. He was crouched over someone, who seemed to be breathing from what she could see. Their form was dirty, with tattered clothes and matted dark-blue hair.

"Natsu…" The figure croaked, staring up at the pink-haired dragon slayer. "Is that you?"

Natsu nodded, grabbing onto the shoulder of the man. "Yeah," he started, "We tried to find you up on Mt. Hakobe, but found Everlue's banner. I assumed that he had kidnapped you, so here we are."

The figure coughed, the chains attached to his hands rattling. "We?"

Turning back to the doorway, Natsu spotted Lucy staring from the hallway and waved her in. As she stepped into the room, the man turned towards her. "Macao, this is Lucy. She only joined the guild a few days ago and is already helping me break the law!"

The figure, Macao, let out a chuckle, his voice raspy. "Sounds like a typical day in the guild."

As she listened to them chatting away, she could feel her nerves slowly begin to dissipate. Sure, there was still much that she had to learn about this new lifestyle, but she was already learning about so many different things. And despite the crazy situation she put herself in after only one day, she didn't regret it. Not for the first time in the recent days, she was finally beginning to feel that leaving her father's estate had been the best choice.

Lucy waved towards Macao, who only nodded back. "Do you think you could get those chains off?"

Letting out a boisterous laugh, Natsu gave her a thumbs up. With one swift motion, Natsu lit his hands-on fire and burned right through the chains, melting the old, rusted metal. As Macao flexed his bruised wrists, Natsu placed his hands under his shoulders and pulled the older man to his feet.

"You good to go?" Natsu questioned.

Macao shook his head wearily, rolling his shoulders. "I think so," he answered, "This old man hasn't been through something like this in a while."

Natsu smirked at that. Turning back towards Lucy, she watched him walk back over to her. "So, what's the plan?"

Glancing back out into the hallway, she found it just as empty as it had been for the past few minutes. "We need to escape," she said, leaning back into the room. "I think we should try to escape through the passage again."

Natsu nodded in agreement. While they had been talking, Macao had made his way over to them and was now standing right behind. Flicking his fingers a few times, he ignited a few different color flames on his fingertips.

"Looks like I still have some magic left." he spoke, "We need to watch out for the pink-haired maid. I'm not sure what kind of magic she uses, but it's nothing to ignore."

Rubbing the bruise on his head, Natsu grimaced. "I know."

Reaching over to tug on Natsu's vest, Lucy jerked her head in the direction of the hallway. "We should get going."

"Aye."

Natsu stepped out into the hallway first, tilting his head to the side as he listened for any possible enemies. Seemingly satisfied, he waved to motioned towards his two companions. Following the dragon slayer, they made their way down the hallway, past the infinite amount of Everlue paintings once again.

They had barely made it to the first corner when Natsu suddenly stopped, with Lucy slamming into his back. Macao managed to stop by grabbing hold of the wall.

Natsu turned back towards them, eyes wide. He frantically, started to push them back down the hall, ignoring Lucy's protest. "We need to go!"

Right as he finished, the ground beneath them began to tremble, making them stumble forward and fall to the ground. With a sudden _BANG_ the floor beneath them erupted, sending splinters and nails flying everywhere. Before any of them could react, the giant, pink-haired maid stood before them.

Lucy yelped and tried to shuffle back, not noticing the call from Macao. When he back collided with something hard, she diverted her eyes from the giant lady before her to the object behind her. There was a pair of legs standing there and looking up, she met the creepy smile of Everlue.

"Hu-hu-hu, what do we have here?" he questioned, his voice crackling. Bending over and pushing his fingers together, he leaned closer to Lucy. "Looks like we have a mage trying to run!"

Attempting to shuffle away, she couldn't go far before the giant maid jumped in front of her. With one swift motion, the giant grabbed Lucy and held her high above her head. Lucy wriggled around as much as she could, but it was to no avail. The maid's grip was too strong.

"Let her go!" Natsu yelled, pushing himself onto his feet. Macao was mumbling as he lay on the floor in pain.

"No can do, Fairy Tail mage!" Everlue exclaimed, "She'll be coming with me!"

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to leave a review if you did!**

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 **Thanks for all the follows, favorites, and reviews (Awareness Bringer)!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Before Natsu could react, the maid began to punch a hole in the ground with her free hand. Lucy turned towards Natsu with fear radiating in her eyes, but before he could do anything, the maid jumped into the hole pulling a screaming Lucy with her. Turning towards Everlue, Natsu jumped for the man, who swiftly avoided him with another laugh.

"Hu-hu-hu," the man laughed, "Looks like your friend is gone. Perhaps if you surrender here, I'll let her go. You'll become my slave of course!"

Natsu could feel his anger rising. "Give her back! This is your last chance, Everlue!"

The older man pressed his fingers together again. "No can do, Fairy Tail mage. Looks like you'll have to come and get her!" With that, he jumped into one of the holes created by the giant maid, disappearing from the hallway. Natsu ran to the edge of the hole but swore softly when he found a few different paths within, and no clue which one the man had chosen.

He turned back to Macao, the older man grumbling as he rubbed his shoulder. "We have to go after them!"

Macao turned towards Natsu, a defeated look in his eyes. "I'm in no condition to fight Natsu," he spoke, wincing as he stretched out a leg. "You'll have to stop them. I'll go and find an exit."

Natsu frowned but nodded his head nonetheless. Despite having rather had the backup, he didn't want Macao to just be getting in the way if he wasn't in good condition. Plus, he didn't really know how long he had been trapped. The older man could be a lot worse off than he looked.

"Alright," he spoke after a minute, glancing down at the hole. "Try to find an exit. I'm going to go after Lucy."

Macao let out a grunt of affirmation before turning and starting down the hallway. With a quick glance, Natsu noted the small limp in the man's step. Perhaps he had been injured more than he let on.

Shaking his head, Natsu looked down at the two separate paths in the hole. There was no way to tell where each of them went, as the darkness prevented him from seeing more than a few feet in. Bracing himself, he clenched his fists as he jumped into the one on the left.

For a few brief moments, he felt himself falling. Darkness filled his vision and he did his best to brace himself for the inevitable impact at the end. As he looked down—or at least the direction he thought was down—he was able to make out a small light beginning to shine from the end.

The light suddenly filling his vision blinded him and before he could regain his sight, he softly collided with the ground below. It was a lighter landing than he had been anticipating. As he blinked to clear his eyes of the spots dancing within his vision, he turned back up to see the hole fading away into nothing and came to the realization that it must have been enchanted with magic.

Turning away, he looked around the room. Off to his left, there was a large pair of wooden doors, and from the looks of it, he guessed that this was the entrance to the mansion. A large, ornate golden chandelier hung above him, with a few lacrimas providing light for the room below.

Looking down he noticed the bright red carpet that lined the floor from wall to wall. Benches sat against the walls on all sides, with the center of the room housing an ornate fountain. At the end of the entrance hall, there were two staircases wrapping around another large set of doors. He could only guess where any of those paths lead.

Suddenly, the ground started shaking below him. He scrambled to the far wall, grabbing onto one of the rough stones that made up the wall to steady himself. The two large doors at the end of the entrance hall were flung open, and the maid came walking through, the ground shaking with every step.

She had Everlue sitting in the palm of her right hand. The man was drinking from a large flask, and from the smell, Natsu could tell that it was some form of alcohol.

"Ahhh, Natsu Dragneel." The man began, stuffing a cork in the top of the bottle. "It has been a while since we've last fought, hasn't it? I'm sure that this will be just as interesting as the last."

Natsu could feel his adrenaline begin to rise at the anticipation of the upcoming battle. It had been years since they last fought, and he had been much younger at the time. Things would be very different this time around.

Everlue sat on the maid's hand, a cocky grin etched across his face. "Virgo. Destroy him!"

The giant maid began to lumber forward slowly as Everlue hopped off her hand and ran away, disappearing up one of the staircases. So much for a rematch of their last fight. Brushing the thought aside, Natsu began prepared himself, but before he could react the maid shot forward. She was much faster than someone of her size should be able to move, and he could barely react in time.

He managed to tilt his head out of the way of her giant fist. Punching his closed fists together, he ignited his hand his flames, swinging back and slamming his fist into the giant maid's stomach. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Natsu's eyes widened as he watched the maid brush off the attack like it was nothing. With a grunt, she swung at him with the back of her hand, connecting and sending him flying across the room. He yelled as he slammed into the wall, feeling his back flare up in pain as he fell to the floor.

He had no time to rest, however, as he watched the maid begin to make her way towards him once more. He shakily pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the throbbing pain in his lower back and met her eyes. She swung a closed fist down at him and he leaned back, catching himself with his hands to avoid it.

With his hands planted on the ground, he swung his feet up while igniting them in flames. "Fire Dragon's Claw!" he roared, slamming the top of his feet into the maid's chin.

She let out a roar of pain as she fell back, the ground shaking when her giant body connected with the floor. Natsu stood over her, watching her labored breaths. She eventually began to make her way back to her feet, making Natsu curse.

"What's it gonna take to keep you down?"

The maid's response was another roar, her body beginning to glow as she began to spin rapidly. Before Natsu could react, she disappeared into the ground, a large hole being the only thing left in her place. He glanced down at the floor below, anticipating an attack, but there was nothing but silence.

He began to make his way over to one of the large staircases. Just as he placed his foot on the first step, the ground below him erupted in an explosion of rock and wood. Natsu jumped back as fast as he could, avoiding the maid's landing but was hit on the head by a stray rock.

He was dazed, and for a moment could've sworn that he saw stars. Before he could recover, the maid jumped over, quickly grabbing him. He struggled in her giant hand as hard as he could, but she refused to budge. Just as he gave up his flailing, she began to make her way up the destroyed stairs, avoiding the destroyed portion with a grace that shouldn't be possible with her size.

When they reached the top, they were interrupted by a scream down the hallway.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled, but the scream quickly faded away.

Natsu growled in annoyance, trying to twist his body so that he was facing the maid. As she felt him begin to twist, she only tightened her grip. He pushed himself further, forcing himself to ignore the pain from his body being slowly crushed. Once he was facing her head, he did his best to take a breath.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

The flames hit the maid in the face point blank. The attack was considerably weaker than normal as he couldn't get a proper breath, but it served its purpose well.

The maid screamed out in pain, promptly letting go of the fire mage. As his feet landed on the floor, Natsu gasped for breath. He stumbled away from the maid, wanting to put as much distance between the two as possible. It wasn't much, due to the small proximity of the hallway, but he didn't have much choice.

He glanced down the hallway, once again finding door after door. Paintings lined the walls, and a red carpet ran down the middle of the floor, but besides that it was empty. He shakily pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the rumbling from the downed maid beside him.

"Why does there have to be so many doors…" he grumbled, trailing off as he started down the hallway.

As he passed each door, he swiftly kicked the old wooden doors open before looking inside. It wasn't efficient, but it would have to do if he wanted to find Lucy quickly. Then again, it seemed like every time he finished looking in one room, there was still an endless amount to go.

Natsu had only searched through five rooms before he was interrupted by the maid. She met him as he was just about to walk into the room that he had just opened. From a quick glance, it had seemed like some sort of small library.

He had just raised his hands, preparing to fight once more before he was stopped by a voice. "Natsu!"

Natsu turned back to the room, eyes widening as he saw Lucy sitting behind a desk in the middle. She looked to have a book in one hand, and a golden key in the other, although he had no clue what she was doing with either. Besides a few small tears in her clothes, she looked completely unharmed.

"Luce!" he replied, a grin appearing on his face. "I found you-"

He was interrupted by a fist connecting with his gut, knocking the wind out of him and flinging him down the hallway. He tumbled to a stop, completely out of breath and struggling to get more air in him. The maid was upon him quickly, punching him further into the ground, making him cough and gag.

Through weary eyes, he was just able to make out Lucy running through the door. She no longer had the book in her hand, but instead a keychain. A few keys hung from the loop, but from the distance, he couldn't make out much more than that.

She seemed to chant something, catching the maid's attention, who just turned around as a magic circle appeared in front of Lucy. With a golden flash, a giant white and black bull appeared in the hallway between them. The bull was wielding a large ax, and with an 'MOO' he charged forward.

Natsu barely managed to scramble out of the way as the maid was sent flying from the bull's hit, her body crashing into the ground where he had been moments prior. As he watched the bull continuously swing his ax towards the giant, he quickly made his way over to Lucy, his chest throbbing the entire time.

"What the hell, Lucy?!" he exclaimed, one hand holding his chest while the other pointed towards the two clashing giants. "Since when did you have a cow to help you!"

Lucy smiled deviously, pointing to the keychain in her hand. "It's my magic," she explained, "I'm a Celestial Spirit Mage."

Natsu didn't know what that meant, but after a loud crash from the fight behind them, he nodded his head. "We'll talk more about that later."

They turned away from their conversation just in time to watch the bull throw the maid back down the stairs and into the entrance hall. "Taurus follow her!" Lucy yelled.

With another 'MOO' the bull leaped down the stairs, the sound of him landing quickly following. Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand, quickly pulling her to the stairs so that they could follow, but they were interrupted by another voice.

"Hu-hu-hu. Looks like you two are providing more of a challenge than I initially thought."

Natsu turned around, the grimace forming on his face from the sound of Everlue. Lucy glanced back as well, but her attention was more focused on the fight below.

"Go," Natsu spoke, nodding his head in the direction of the staircase. "I'll take care of Everlue."

He could make out the hesitance in her eyes, but after a moment she nodded. He watched her run to the top of the stairs before jumping down into the chaos below.

Turning back towards Everlue, Natsu slammed his fist into his open palm, a grin appearing on his face. "Shall we get to it?"

Everlue only chuckled again, whipping out a key from his coat pocket. "Yes! We shall!"

Everlue swiped the key in front of him dramatically, his opposing hand going up into the air with his palm facing up. "Virgo, I summon thee!"

There was silence. The only sounds either could hear were from the fight raging below. As Natsu just stood in silence, Everlue began to sweat, swiping the key again and making another pose. "Virgo!"

Nothing. By this point, Everlue was swinging the key around wildly. "Why won't you come already?!"

"It seems like Lucy is keeping that maid of yours pretty pre-occupied downstairs."

Natsu was upon Everlue in a moment, the older man screaming as he fell back onto the ground. He dropped the key in his moment of fright, which Natsu picked up. Everlue let out a scream of frustration and tried to grab it back, but Natsu grabbed the man by the collar.

"We are done." Natsu growled, "Understand?"

Everlue nodded his head frantically when the hand that wasn't holding him burst into flames. Natsu proceeded to drag the man over to the staircase, his iron grip never faltering despite Everlue's half-hearted attempts at struggling. When he made it to the top of the staircase, he dragged the man down the steps, uncaring of how the man bounced against the hardwood.

He noticed the fight at the bottom out of the corner of his eye but ignored it for the time being. When he passed the destroyed portion at the bottom, he chucked Everlue against the wall. "Stay."

Without waiting for a response, he turned back to the center of the room. The bull was standing above the giant maid, who was laying on her hands and knees. From the look of pain—or at least what he guessed was a look of pain—on the maid's face, it looked like she was out of magic. And when she crashed to the ground, he knew that he had guessed right.

Lucy stood beside the bull, offering him some quick thanks before he disappeared with one final flash of light and a 'MOO'. She turned back towards Natsu after, and he could clearly make out the fatigue and exhaustion written across her face. Before he could say anything, however, their attention was pulled back to the maid, who was beginning to glow.

It seemed to pulse around her for a moment. Then, with one final flash of golden light, the giant maid disappeared, golden specks floating from where her body once lay. From the specks a key fell onto the ground, spinning a bit before coming to a stop. The key in Natsu's hand promptly shimmering into nothing.

Lucy bent over, picking up the new key and examining it closely. Natsu could make out the delicate smile on his face and watched as she gingerly attached it to her keychain along with the others. He still didn't really understand how her magic worked, but it made his relieved that Everlue wouldn't be able to use it any longer.

Said man erupted from his place by the wall, spittle spluttering from his mouth. "No! I won't stand for this! Give me back my key!"

Natsu began to walk over to the man before stopping at a hand from Lucy. Turning towards her, he noticed her hardened gaze. She had her fingers wrapped around her keychain as she fiddled around with the keys.

"You don't deserve to be a celestial mage. The spirits are our friends and allies. Not tools to be used to do evil. I guarantee that you won't be forming any new contracts any time soon."

Behind him, Natsu heard Macao opening the large wooden doors. Neither Natsu nor Lucy paid him any attention however as they continued to watch Everlue.

"This is your final warning. Leave the Fairy Tail Guild alone, or you will be facing worse consequences next time."

Lucy nodded her head in agreement with Natsu's words. He watched Everlue get up to his feet shakily, sending the pair a dirty look before scampering off into one of the back rooms, slamming the door shut behind him.

Natsu turned towards Lucy as he heard her sigh out in relief. As he turned towards her, he noticed the timid smile that had suddenly adorned her face—a sharp contrast to the hard look she had given Everlue only moments prior. She patted the keys by her waist once more, sending a quick glance to the new addition on her waist.

"Thank you, Natsu," said Lucy, turning to look at him with a small smile.

He gave her a cheeky smile, lacing his fingers behind his head. "No problem."

"I don't know about you two, but I need a drink."

Both teens turned towards the large doors at the end of the hall. They had been opened, allowing the light from the outside to pour in. Macao stood in the doorway, staring at the two with a pained smile. He was currently grasping his left shoulder with his opposite hand and watching them with a tired look. His body was leaning against the open door, and they could make out the paved road outside.

"I take it the fight went well?" Macao continued.

Natsu and Lucy shared a glance, the smile on Natsu's face grew larger as Lucy just looked more tired. "I would say so!"

Macao nodded his head, waving the two over with his good arm. "Then come on, help this old man out and let's go home."

Natsu promptly walked over to the man, placing an arm under his shoulders to help him stand. "Yeah. You have someone waiting back home for you too."

"How was Romeo when I was gone? Did he behave himself?"

"He got into a bit of a fight with the master, but besides that, yeah."

Macao shook his head wearily. "That darn boy…"

"In his defense," Natsu continued, "The fight was about rescuing you."

Macao let out a small chuckle. "I suppose I can't be mad at him for that."

Natsu turned back towards Lucy, who was watching them with a small smile across her face. He waved his hand, motioning her to come closer.

"Come on, Lucy." He said, "It's time to go home."

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to let me know what you thought!**

 **Feel free to follow me on Twitter - PFWriting**

 **Thanks for the follows, favorites, and reviews(Awareness Bringer)!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Do you understand what you two have done?!"

Beads of sweat dripped down Lucy's forehead as she stood in front of the irate master. Natsu stood beside her, seemingly far to calm for the situation they were in.

"Of course, Gramps! But we had to do something. Macao could've been killed!"

Makarov sighed, running a hand down his face. "I understand Natsu, but you should have contacted the guild. Not only would we have sent you some support, but we would have made sure to handle the situation properly."

Natsu fell quiet at that, grumbling as he laced his fingers behind his head. "We handled the situation fine."

Makarov raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure that I would call barging into his mansion with a brand-new guild member and attacking him head on _fine_."

As he finished he turned towards Lucy, a soft look settling upon his face. "That reminds me. How are you, my dear? Hopefully, nothing too bad happened while you were in there."

Lucy shook her head. "No. I'm alright."

Makarov nodded before turning back towards Natsu with another sigh. "I suppose that I should be happy that no one ended up hurt."

Lucy turned towards Natsu as he chuckled. "You see, Gramps? There was nothing to worry about. We had it handled—"

He was interrupted by a giant fist slamming him to the ground, making Lucy yelp in fright. Makarov once again looked angry and annoyed, sending the boy squashed underneath his fist a furious glare. "Did you really expect me to say that?! You could have started a war, you idiot!"

She glanced towards his fist when she heard few muffled groans coming from underneath, but when Lucy turned back towards Makarov, she shrunk when she noticed his glare was now directed at her. "You are just as guilty, Miss Ashley. You're only a new member and the first thing you decide to do is break the rules and leave town without my permission! These rules have been set in place for a reason, and everyone must follow them!"

Lucy could only nod her head rapidly, brushing the beads of sweat on her forehead away with her forearm. "I—I'm sorry," she spoke meekly.

Makarov watched them for a few moments longer before withdrawing his fist. Natsu groaned again, rolling over onto his back as he tried to regain his breath. "S-Sorry…"

"You two leave me with little choice." Makarov sighed. "Until further notice, you two are banned from taking any more missions. Hopefully, you will use this time to reflect on this incident."

Lucy nodded her head in acceptance. She felt terrible for disobeying the rules, especially after becoming a member of Fairy Tail so soon. This was probably the best outcome she could have hoped for. At least she hadn't been kicked out of the guild.

Natsu's eyes widened at Makarov's words, but he remained silent. He pushed himself off the ground before making his way over to the door, shoulders slumped. Placing his hand on the door handle, he turned back towards Lucy and beckoned for her to follow. She turned towards Makarov, who only responded with a short nod. That was enough for her, and she practically scrambled to follow Natsu out the door.

Once they were outside, Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. The pressure that had been hanging over their heads had been suffocating, and the only time she had felt so intimidated was when she would stand next to her father. She would be careful to not anger the master anytime soon.

The pair started to make their way down the stairs. Lucy quickly noticed that the rest of the guild was staring at them, but did her best to ignore it. Just as they reached the bottom step, Happy came flying over and landed on top of Natsu's head, purring happily.

"What did the master say, Natsu?"

"He banned us from taking any more missions," he huffed, reaching up with one hand to pet Happy. "Now we are stuck here."

Happy looked unhappy at the boy's comment but quickly perked up once more. "At least we can spend some time together!"

Natsu chuckled. "I guess you're right, buddy. What do you say we go get a bite to eat?"

"Aye!"

Lucy felt a bit out of place watching the pair interact. Despite having met Happy a few times before, she still wasn't entirely sure about the small feline. She had never seen a cat like it before, and the fact that he could talk… That was something else.

"What do you say, Luce?"

Natsu's words knocked her out of her thoughts, and she quickly glanced at the staring crowd one last time before turning towards him. "I—I guess so."

He smiled, wrapping one arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. "Great! Happy and I love the seafood restaurant on the other side of town. They serve some of the best fish ever!"

Lucy struggled for a bit in his grip, but eventually gave up when he refused to budge. As she was pulled towards the exit, she noticed that Happy beginning to drool at the mention of his favorite food.

As they neared the doors, they were halted when they swung open. A teen walked in—one that Lucy had never seen before. He had bright orange-hair, with a pair of shades covering his eyes. A green coat that had fur-lining around the hood hung from his shoulders. To top it all off, he had an orange t-shirt and a pair of black pants. As he took a few steps into the guild, he took notice of their small group and came to a stop.

"Natsu."

"Loke! You're back! How was the mission!"

The teen was quiet for a moment, staring at Lucy before readjusting his glasses. "It went as planned. Met a few cute girls on the way as well."

Natsu laughed while Lucy frowned. From a first impression standpoint, it wasn't going very well. When Loke finally acknowledged her, he stared at her for a moment before nodding his head in her direction.

"Who's the girl?"

"This is Lucy," Natsu spoke, pushing her out in front of him. "She's a—"

"Celestial Spirit Mage. I know."

Lucy raised a hand and waved, but he ignored her. She let her hand fall back to her side, standing there awkwardly as she wondered why he was so rude towards her. After a moment of awkward silence, Loke finally turned and walked away. "I'll see you later."

She watched his retreating form move farther into the guild, but before she could question his cold personality further, she felt Natsu tugging on her wrist. When she turned towards him, Natsu was already dragging her out of the building, with Happy staring down at her from on top of his head. "Let's go!"

It didn't take them long to traverse through the town. Once again, Lucy found herself looking around in slight awe at the sight of children running through the streets, or the adults buying and selling items in the marketplace. Back home, her father would never let her enter any town with him, so she had always been left to watch from the outside with their battalion of guards. To be this close, and for everything to seem so normal, it was slightly overwhelming.

Although it brought back all the negative memories with it. The darker towns that they would visit so that her father could conduct his business. The sight of their people living in the streets or under the bridges, scavenging for anything that they could use to survive. She had seen it all. It made her even more sure about her choice in coming to Magnolia.

Natsu seemingly caught onto her thoughts, as he nudged her with his shoulder. "You alright?" he questioned.

She nodded in reply. "Yeah."

* * *

"We have been fighting this war ever since I joined the guild, so I'm sure that they had been fighting for a while before."

"You never asked?"

Natsu looked thoughtful, raising a hand to his chin. "I suppose I never really thought of asking."

Lucy stared at him in silence for a moment in disbelief. He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. When she suddenly stood and began to walk off, Natsu stumbled off the bench and scrambled after her. "Luce, wait!"

The pair had been sitting in the park. Having eaten a little while ago, they had decided that it would be the best place to go and allow for their food to digest. Happy had left soon after they finished, however, stating that he needed to go and meet with Mira. He wouldn't explain what for and Lucy couldn't help but wonder about the cat's antics.

"Lucy!"

She whirled back toward him. "How can you be so carefree about the situation?! People are _dying_ Natsu! Every single day, and yet the people within this city get to live their life carefree."

A sudden sense of envy overwhelmed her. "Everyone here gets to laugh, and play, and celebrate. Meanwhile, everyone outside of the walls is suffering."

Natsu's face fell. "I know," he started. "Everyone understands that."

"It doesn't seem like it."

"Lucy, it's not a simple problem. You know that. We can't just go out and fix the world. We've been trying for years. Progress is slow, and whether anyone will admit it or not, the guild's spirits have been falling these past months."

He clenched a fist, and suddenly Lucy regretted her words. "In the past three months, we have lost seven mages, Lucy. Seven. That's more than we lost throughout the entirety of last year."

Natsu paused, but before she could apologize, he continued. "There need to be places in the world where life can be…normal. It inspires people. As a mage, we need to be optimistic, even in the worst of times. If the guilds start to panic, then the people will soon follow, and that will be the end of everything we have been working towards."

"I know that you're angry Lucy, and believe me, I am too." He raised his arm and put his fist in front of her. "Don't be angry at them for wanting peace and a normal life. Use your anger to work towards stopping the dark guilds, and to help prevent more people from having to suffer the fate of so many others."

Lucy stared down at his closed hand, unable to stop the tears from welling up in her eyes. Sniffing, she wiped them away, placing her fist against his with a shaky smile. She knew that he was right. "Yeah…you're right."

He withdrew his hand, stuffing it into his pants pocket. "Come on," He nudged her with his elbow. "Let's go back to the guild."

She nodded quickly, falling in step behind him. "Who knew you could give such an inspirational speech?"

"Oh, that?" He looked back at her with a slight grin. "Gramps gave that speech to me when I first joined the guild. I just figured it would work for you as well."

* * *

Lucy turned towards Natsu with an exasperated look, lightly punching him on the arm. "Would you stop grumbling already? We got back over two hours ago."

He just shrugged, glaring down at the tabletop. "It's not fair."

She turned and looked pointedly at the rest of the guild. Since they had returned, their staring had continued once again, and she was quickly growing tired of it. A few of the guild members had even decided to start talking in whispers around them. She gave Natsu a light pat on the back, a soothing tone lacing her voice. "I know."

Natsu was quiet for a few more moments before leaning back and staring up at the ceiling. "I suppose there is nothing I can do." He turned towards her, placing his fist under his chin as he rested his elbow on the table. "I forgot to ask you before, but what are you going to do while we are banned from missions?"

Lucy contemplated his question quietly for a moment. Before joining the guild, she had been on the run for so long that she had never really taken much time to think of what she would do once she got here. Then she had gone on the quest to save Macao from Everlue, and now, she found herself trying to come up with an answer.

"I-I'm not sure," she muttered, "I haven't really given it much thought."

Natsu nodded. "Well, you must have had a plan when you came to Magnolia. You mentioned that you were running away from something—not that I need to know what—but obviously you knew that you would have to get accustomed to life here."

Lucy went quiet, turning away from the pink-haired teen and looking at the bar. "I'm not sure, but I suppose that I need to find a place to stay."

She heard him jump out of his seat, and she glanced back at him out of the corner of her eye. "Well, let's go then," he started, a bright smile on his face. "Let's go find you the best house in Magnolia!"

As he finished, he grabbed onto her arm and pulled her to her feet. She sighed quietly as she found herself once again being dragged away by Natsu. It hadn't taken her long to learn that there was no point in trying to get him to let go. And so, she found herself being led towards the exit once more, but they were quickly interrupted by the large doors swinging open. A sense of déjà vu suddenly washed over Lucy.

"Natsu."

Master Makarov stood before them, eyebrows furrowed as he clutched a piece of paper in his hand. "I've received word from Erza and Gray. Something bad is about to happen, and they requested that I send someone to help. I can't get a hold of any of our other S-Class mages, so you will need to go in their stead."

Natsu let go of her arm as he began to cheer, drawing some eyes from the guild around them. He looked about ready to run out the door before he was stopped by the master raising a hand. "You will watch yourself, you hear me? If I hear from Erza that you destroyed anything unnecessarily, there will be a severe punishment."

He quickly sobered up at the master's words, nodding towards the shorter man. "When do I leave and where do I need to go?"

Makarov handed him the piece of paper, which Natsu quickly grabbed and proceeded to read. "All of the information is in there. There is no time to waste, you must leave immediately."

Natsu's eyebrows furrowed as he continued to read, before he clenched the paper tightly, turning back to Makarov. "They're back?"

"Yes," the master nodded, glancing sideways at Lucy. "They are."

"How? I thought Laxus had taken care of them a few months ago."

"It would seem that they had more influence than we had initially thought. There were remnants of the guild that fled once Laxus destroyed their guildhall. It would seem that they had an unknown supporter backing them up. They are back, and stronger than before. I will do my best to contact Laxus, but don't keep your hopes up."

Natsu was silent, reading over the paper once more. Happy quietly flew over and landed on the teen's head, making him look up at the cat. "Be safe, Natsu."

"Of course, little buddy." He pets Happy's head, glancing quickly at Lucy. "Lucy will stay with you while I'm gone, right Luce?"

Lucy nodded mutely, still confused, but didn't hesitate when Natsu picked Happy off his head and handed him to her. The small cat immediately began purring as he curled up against her chest. With one final nod towards Lucy and Makarov, Natsu ran out of the guild, making a beeline for the city gates.

"What happened?"

Makarov turned towards Lucy as he heard her speak. He seemed to contemplate his words for a moment before waving a hand and starting inside. "Nothing to concern yourself over, my dear. There were some rumors about an old enemy of ours trying to resurge once again. With Natsu there, along with Erza and Gray, everything will be alright."

Lucy came to a halt as the master continued. Something was nagging at her in the back of her mind, and it just wouldn't settle. Makarov noticed her hesitance and turned back towards her with an eyebrow raised. "Do you have a question?"

She squeezed Happy tighter against her chest. "Who is the enemy?"

"Unfortunately, they _do_ have quite the reputation, so I am sure you have heard of them before. But their name is Eisenwald."

Lucy's heart stopped. If it weren't for Happy gripping onto her shirt, he would have fallen to the ground. "E—Eisenwald?"

Makarov nodded, seemingly confused by the girl's reaction. "Yes. Are you alright, Lucy?"

She nodded quickly, stumbling slightly as she began to turn away. "I—I have to go. I need to go look for a place to stay."

"Alright," he paused. "If you need anything, I'll be here."

She didn't respond, only turning away and closing the door behind her once she stepped outside. She began to run into the town, unknowing of where she was going, but uncaring at the same time. Happy remained clutched tightly within her arms, but he was silent, only letting out the occasional yelp when she almost ran into someone. She quickly lost track of where she was, but none of that mattered, as the only thing she could think about was the guild Makarov had just mentioned.

 _Eisenwald._

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed. :D**

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	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Lucy frowned as she stared up at yet another building that she didn't recognize. Her feet ached from all the running.

"Lucy," Happy purred, looking up at her from where she was holding him against her chest. "You're lost."

The cat wriggled in her arms, and after a moment of struggling she eventually let him go. With a slight flash, wings appeared on Happy's back and he began to float in front of her face.

"You can fly?"

"Aye!"

She shook her head. At this point, these sorts of things weren't even surprising to her. In the short time she had been with them, she had seen so many different things. Even more so than when she had been forced to travel with her dad, and yet, she still found that the guild never ceased to surprise her time and time again.

Happy began to fly away, knocking her out of her thoughts, and she scrambled to follow. He didn't say anything, but from the way he flew around, it seemed that he knew where he was going. They made their way through the town, heading away from the guild and passing the Town Hall. Many people gave them a sideways glance, but otherwise continued with their day. Perhaps a flying cat was one of the least startling things they saw when living under the protection of Fairy Tail.

It took them around fifteen minutes, but eventually Happy came to a stop near the grand wall that surrounded the city. She glanced around the base of the wall before searching the upper portion only to find nothing. Whenever she had passed by a section of the wall before, there had always been at least a few guards patrolling the area, but it seemed that they were lacking here.

"There isn't any need to put any guards here often," Happy started, seemingly picking up on her thoughts. "On the other side of this section, there is only a patch of forest on a cliff. The guards are posted by the cliffside."

Happy glanced up at the sky for a moment, placing a paw under his chin. "That's what Natsu told me, at least."

He flew over to the wall, tapping a few times on the rough stone surface before pausing. Placing both paws on the same spot, he pushed, and that chunk of the wall began to sink in. Happy flew back with a smile, joining her in watching as the chunk grew and continued opening to reveal the forest on the other size. It wasn't a big piece, as it only reached up to her chest and was no wider than her.

"Happy…What is this?"

The cat turned to look at her. "A secret entrance!"

Lucy walked up to the wall, placing a hand on the surface herself. "I understand that, but why?"

"Well, Natsu and I originally thought that it was for ninjas," Happy shrugged, "But after asking the master he told us that it was for the S-Class mages. They use it for their secret missions."

"S-Class?"

Happy twirled in the air. "Aye! They are the strongest mages in the guild!"

Lucy's eyebrows furrowed, removing her hand from the wall. "Natsu is one of the S-Class mages? Who else is one?" she questioned. Natsu had never mentioned anything about S-Class, so she could guess that he wasn't one of them, but it still piqued her interest. Who _were_ the strongest in the guild?

"No, Natsu's not!" Happy was silent for a moment, gesturing with his palms in front of himself. "We only have five!"

Five? In retrospect, that didn't seem like much, so perhaps that was why she hadn't heard about it until now. "Have I met any of them?"

"Aye! Mira is S-Class!"

Lucy's eyes widened, and she had to prevent her mouth from falling open. Mirajaneis one of the S-Class mages? The one who worked part-time as a barmaid in the guild while going out to star in her photoshoots and help lead the repairs in other cities? From the girl's bubbly personality, Lucy just found herself not believing the cat's words.

"Although she doesn't do missions anymore…" Happy's words faded off, and a look of sadness overtook his features. When he noticed her watching him, the smile quickly returned to his face, leaving her to wonder what that had been about. "Come on! I still want to show you!"

She had to fight the urge to question the feline further, and instead just followed him into the hole. Falling to her hands and knees, she began to make her way in. It was a tight fit, and looking further, she knew that the tunnel seemed much longer than it probably was.

As the rough ground below slowly turned into soft grass, she was met with the sight of the dense forest on the other side. It wasn't any different from the rest that surrounded the town. As she stood up and brushed off her knees, Happy began to make his way into the forest, hovering over a section of the grass that seemed to be worn down. It was clear that it was used as a path.

"Come on! We are almost there!" Happy shouted, continuing without waiting for her.

She scrambled forward, rushing to ensure that she didn't lose sight of the cat. If she did, then she would be truly lost.

Luckily, he hadn't gone too far, and when she found him again, he was staring at an old piece of wood that was nailed into a tree. It looked to have some writing on it, and when she got closer, she was able to make out the words _Natsu_ and _Happy_ on it. Both of their names were barely more than indecipherable scribbles.

Happy began moving again before she could comment on it. The path was narrow, and every so often she had to push a bush or a branch out of the way. It didn't seem like it had been used by many people.

When Happy began to pick up the pace, Lucy knew that they were close. Without warning, Happy suddenly veered to the right and flew into a bush, disappearing. She came to a stop in front of it and called out to him but received no response. Sighing, she began pushing her way through it, and when she stumbled out on the other side, her jaw dropped.

A house—a worn down and unstable looking one—sat in the middle of a small clearing. It seemed that the owner of the house had done a quick job in making room within the clearing, as the trees and bushes that sat on the edges were only half-cut down. The house itself was small, containing only what looked to be three small rooms. There were a few windows cut into the side of it, but the inside was blocked off by curtains that hung from within.

Happy was already at the door, pushing it open when she called out to him. "Is this your house, Happy?"

"Aye!" Happy cheered, struggling a bit to open the door on his own. "Natsu and I built this together! We needed a place to live, but Natsu didn't like all the noise in town. So, the master let us build one out here!"

Having opened the door enough for him to fit through, he flew through the crack. She jogged up to the door, pushing it open a bit more so that she could fit through and stepped in. The first thing that she noticed was the mess. Clothes were thrown about the room, with dishes, books, and other items sitting randomly about the room. She took a tentative step into the room, ensuring that she remained out of the path of anything dirty.

"Do you two ever clean?"

Happy flew over and landed on her shoulder. She winced slightly when she felt his claws dig into her skin. "We used to all the time with Lisanna! But now we always forget."

"Lisanna?" Lucy's eyebrows furrowed as she glanced at the cat as best she could. "Who's that?"

The smile quickly fell off the cat's face. He glanced at the ground and Lucy felt a sudden pang of regret at the despondent look that grew on his face.

"Never mind…" he muttered, the words barely louder than a whisper. He flew off her shoulder, making his way over to the other side of the room. It looked to be a small kitchen area, and she watched in silence as he opened the lid to a large container and pulled out a small fish. When he turned back around, already munching on the treat, the smile had returned, although this time it was one of satisfaction.

"Come on, Lucy!" Happy began to fly towards another room. Within the doorway hung a thick, red curtain. Different styles of beads decorated the ridges of the cloth, and as Happy flew through, it rang softly. "There's something I want to show you!"

Stepping over a few more obstacles, namely a few pieces of trash, Lucy followed the cat into the room. The first thing she was met with a shelf packed with different items. It ranged from things such as a rock, a few pieces of paper, a book, and even a few pieces of clothing such as a glove and a hat. When she forced herself to turn away, she was startled to find the entire room in a similar state.

It was no bigger than the main room she had just stood in moments prior, and yet, it seemed that it held twice as many items as the other. Unlike the main room, there were no windows, and the only source of light was being provided by a lacrima that Happy had turned on when he entered the room. When her foot bumped into something, she looked down to find the floor filled with objects as well.

Happy flew into a small chair that was in the middle of the room. It was facing one of the walls, where a billboard hung. Different scraps of papers and maps were pinned to said board, with different scribbles and writing across each one.

"What is all of this?"

The cat turned towards her, sticking the last piece of fish in his mouth as he did so. "Ish owr adwenurse rowm!"

She gave him a deadpan look, "Please finish eating first."

With a couple more bites, Happy swallowed the fish. "It's our adventure room!"

"Adventure room…" she muttered, grabbing an object from a nearby table. It was a small box, and when she opened it there was a dull red gem sitting inside. An expensive-looking red velvet cushion lay underneath, one which she was sure her father would've given anything to have within his possession.

"What is all of this stuff?"

"It's all of our adventures!"

Lucy turned toward him, brushing away a lock of blond hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. "Your adventures?"

"Aye! Each time Natsu goes out, he brings home a piece of the adventure. Then we come home, and he tells me all about the journey! With the piece here, I become part of the adventure too!"

She lay the small box back down on the desk. Even though she had only known him for a short period of time, that completely sounded like something Natsu would do. He was way too carefree for the world that they lived in. Yet, she couldn't help but smile at the thought of how happy it must make the smaller cat.

"I see."

Her eyes moved over to the billboard, scanning its contents for anything interesting. Happy half-heartedly watched her from behind while fiddling with another object he had picked up. It looked to be another gem of some sort.

Besides a couple of mission requests that piqued her interest, nothing seemed to stand out to her on the billboard. Eventually, she made her way over to another table, one that was tucked into the far corner of the room. On it lay only a single object. A book. It sat on a stand, and the golden embroidery stitched into the cover shone in the light. With a trembling hand, she slowly picked up the object.

"What's wrong, Lucy?"

She remained quiet, staring at the book in her hand. She had seen this book before, and it brought back a swarm of memories. Most bad, while some better. She placed it back down on its pedestal before turning back to Happy with a weak smile.

"Nothing."

Making her way over to Happy, she pushed aside some rogue objects with her foot before sitting down on the floor in front of him. His eyes never left her form, and she could hear a light purr coming from him.

"Is this what you do?" she questioned, meeting his gaze. "Do you just stay here when Natsu is away?"

Happy was silent for a moment. "Sometimes! I like to stay at the guild too! Mira makes some of the best fish!" The cat glanced to the side, contemplating something. "Don't tell Natsu, but her fish is even better than his!"

Lucy barked out a laugh. "Don't worry, I won't."

The pair fell quiet. Happy seemed to be lost in his own world once again. It seemed to be typical of the cat, although she expected it when Natsu was the one in charge of raising him.

"Why did you bring me here, Happy?"

Happy smiled and flew up, out of his chair and landing on one of the tables. "I always have to come here alone, and it's boring when Natsu isn't here," He pointed at an object on the table. "I thought that I can tell you about some of the adventures!"

She nodded her head, accepting his request. Happy just continued to watch her, the smile never falling from his face. "But I want to ask you something first!" he exclaimed.

Nodding her head again, she watched as he flew back down to his seat. "Why did you run from the master?"

Lucy's heart dropped, and she quickly turned her gaze away from the cat. "I—I'm not sure."

From the look on his face, he clearly didn't believe her. She sighed. "It's a long story."

Happy smiled. "I like long stories! When Natsu's stories are longer, they always have more action and fights in them!"

She chuckled lightly at his comment. Despite how weary she was feeling, it seemed that the feline never failed to bring a smile to her face. He was far too innocent.

"Well, I suppose I should start from the beginning, then."

Happy didn't reply, but from the look on his face, he was eager to hear more.

"I lived in my estate with my mother and father for my entire life. It was peaceful there for the most part. With the guards to protect our lands, and my father earning his money by helping the Alliance guilds spread their word and grow, we were safe."

She clenched her hand in her lap. "It continued that way for a while. Until one of the Dark Guilds attacked."

There was silence for a moment as she contemplated her next words. Happy seemed like he wanted to say something but remained quiet in his seat.

"We never learned who it was, but they took almost everything from us. Much of our land was pillaged, our estate was all but destroyed. Many of our guards had died trying to protect us. It was only because of my mother that my father and I survived."

A single tear slid down her cheek. It had been so long since this event had taken place, and yet, it seemed like it could have happened yesterday. "The Dark Guild killed my mother. My father rebuilt much of what had been lost in that battle, yet he could not manage to rebuild the part of himself that had been taken from him."

"I don't know how he came to this, but he eventually ended up blaming the Alliance for what had happened that day." She took a shaky breath, wiping her cheek with the back of her arm. "He cut all ties with the Alliance and became solely focused on trying to figure out who had attacked our family. Unfortunately, he realized that the only way to find that information was to work within the Dark Guilds themselves. Or at least, the guilds that weren't solely focused on the Alliance."

"My father has done some pretty bad things since my mother died…I know that it was the only way he could keep our house together, but it doesn't make them right. Which is why I escaped to Magnolia."

Happy watched her with his giant eyes. Despite his silence, she could tell that he understood, at least somewhat.

"Eisenwald was one of those. He hired them many times, especially their top assassin. I forget his name, but it was one of the few that would meet with him from the guild. My father would hire him to make one of our enemies, _disappear._ Every time, he held the hope that it would be the one that attacked our family, but so far, he has had no luck."

She attempted to calm the shaking of her fingers by squeezing her hands in a fist, but it was to no avail. Her eyes fell to her lap below, and she couldn't help but feel regret at the thought of the decisions her father had made. She could have done something, anything, to try and stop the devastation that he had caused.

Happy placed a hand on her leg, drawing her eyes to him. "Lucy," he began, tears shining in his eyes. "Natsu will help you fix this. He always does."

Lucy sent him a shaky smile. "I hope so."

* * *

 **There's Chapter 6! I hope you enjoyed! A bit more of Lucy's backstory was revealed, along with the reason she left for Magnolia! Next chapter we delve into the real action... I think.**

 **Happy New Years! I hope you all had a good Holiday season!**

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	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The smell of smoke hit Natsu first. It was so great, so dense, that it immediately sent him into a coughing fit and left him gasping for air.

He was currently traveling along the road to Oshibana. The train didn't travel this far out anymore, not since the dark guilds had begun moving closer to the town. He had been walking for the past few hours; nothing but his thoughts to keep him occupied.

The dirt path beneath him crunched with every step, and the sky was clear above. He had spotted a few different types of animals prancing around the edge of the road, but none ever moved close enough for him to touch. A while back he had even passed a trader. It surprised him at first, as no one would typically risk moving about alone with a cart full of goods, but when the man revealed that he was a mage, it had made enough sense to Natsu. The trader had even offered him some food before leaving, which he didn't hesitate to accept.

And so, he continued onward. By this point, he knew that he had been closing in on the town, but this wasn't what he was expecting. This much smoke couldn't mean anything good. And so, he picked up the pace, wrapping his scarf around his mouth to block out the smoke.

Finally coming upon the city, he couldn't stop the sudden burst of dread that overwhelmed him. Fire decorated every inch of the city. It was bright, billowing up into the bright sky, and covering it in an ocean of orange. The screams that were coming from within would forever haunt him, and despite wanting to jump in and help, he found himself rooted to the spot.

An explosion sounded near the center of the city, sending a burst of bright orange flames into the sky. Natsu swallowed, forcing himself through his hesitation and approached the outer wall. Much of the wall was gone, reduced to nothing more than a few chunks of rubble. One of the gateways somehow managed to stay intact, and despite being charred and covered in soot he could make out the Oshibana banner fluttering above.

He walked around the gateway and stepped into the city. Besides the sound of the crackling fire, there was only silence, which didn't help in trying to settle the nerves racing throughout him. The flames licked at his skin, not harming him, but almost feeling cold to the touch. He gagged after trying to eat a bit of it but was forced to spit it back out because of the putrid taste. It wasn't like any fire he had seen or tasted before.

The scream drew his attention next. It seemed as if it had come from one corner of town, where a large building had collapsed, taking a few of the neighboring buildings down with it. He quickly began moving towards it, weaving around or jumping over the many pieces of debris. Turning down an alleyway, his heart clenched as he stared down at the sight before him.

A child, no older than ten was laying alone against an old barrel. Natsu couldn't make out any of their features, as they were charred beyond recognition. He gagged a bit as he fought to keep down his lunch, turning away and stepping out of the alley as quickly as possible. There was nothing that he would be able to do for them.

There was a loud _BANG_ and the next thing Natsu knew, a bolt of lightning was flying towards him. He dove to the side, flinching when the bolt hit the building and exploded. The dust blocked his vision even further, and he barely had any time to move before he was dodging a fist. He quickly grabbed onto their wrist, flinging them down to the ground before pinning them beneath his foot while holding onto his arm.

"Who are you?" he growled, reaching down with his other hand to make them look at him. Their face was covered by a black mask, which he promptly ripped off. He had frail, grey hair along with rotten yellow teeth. He must have been well past sixty years old.

"What's it to you? This was our town! Who do you think you are trying to come in here and steal our loot! The boss won't be happy to learn that there are more of you!"

Natsu wanted to punch the guy in the face, and he almost did before thinking back on the man's words. "More of me? Who else is here?"

The man laughed, the terrible smell of his breath making Natsu's eyes water. "We all know who you are, Fairy Tail. Don't think you can fool us that easily!"

Natsu sighed. "Are you going to answer the question?"

When the man just continued laughing, Natsu sighed. He ignited his fist, which caused the man to finally stop his laughter and squirm beneath him. "W—Wait!"

He was unconscious within a second, and Natsu let the man's arm flop to the ground as he straightened himself up. He tightened his cloak around his shoulders and stepped away from him. There was no doubt that this man had participated in the attack on the town. In turn, he would have to suffer the consequences of such a decision.

Another explosion sounded from the center of town. Natsu finally turned away from the man, running towards the center of town. If he remembered correctly, the train station used to be there, but he wouldn't be surprised if it had been replaced with something else. There wasn't much use for a train station these days, not when the trains were being hijacked by dark guilds throughout the country.

The wind began to pick up around him, and suddenly he was pinned face first against the side of a burning building. He barely managed to turn his head to spot a tornado forming in the center of town. It was tearing up more of the buildings around it, sending chunks of stone and wood flying about. The roar of the wind was deafening, and he couldn't even hear himself think. It took all of his will just to push himself away from the wall, and just as he was prepping himself to begin the trek towards it, the entire tornado dissipated. If it weren't for the signs of its devastation, it would have almost seemed as if it had never happened.

The fire raged on, seemingly moving with even more speed than before. That encouraged him further, and he broke out into a sprint. By the time he reached the bottom steps of the train station, he was gasping for air. He took a moment to catch his breath before starting up the stairs. Natsu rushed up the steps, consuming as much of the fire as he could while he did so. It may taste terrible, but it still gave his magic a boost.

He couldn't see much as he entered the lobby of the train station. Smoke filled the air, unable to escape the building. Taking a breath, he pushed on in, searching for the source of the scream. He stumbled over a few pieces of debris, glancing warily at the roof above as a few more pieces fell around him. If he had to guess, there wasn't much longer before the entire building collapsed.

With the smoke filling the building, his sight was practically useless. He growled, shoving a chunk of stone to the side. He would have to rely on his other senses if he wanted to navigate through this place.

A yell sounded again, this time from the right. He immediately turned toward the source, leaping over a broken bench and starting to run. A loud _CRACK_ sounded above him, and he barely had the chance to look up before he was leaping to the side to avoid a falling support beam. He slammed against the wall, ducking his head to protect himself from the shrapnel that shot out when the beam shattered against the ground.

Pushing himself off the wall, he kept moving forward. He coughed as he got a sudden lung-full of smoke and took a moment to regain his breath. There was another shout, and his head shot up. He was getting closer.

Taking another bite of the fire around him, he pushed forward until he came upon a room. He traced the wall, coming to a stop when his hand met a doorknob. The door was barely visible through the flames, but he wasted no time in shoving his shoulder into it. It barely budged, but he tried again, and again.

He frowned, frustrated that it wasn't opening. He took a couple steps back, eating even more of the fire while he did so. Planting his feet on the ground, he braced himself before charging forward, breaking through the door and falling into the room. He landed roughly on the ground, rolling for a moment before catching himself.

As he was pushing himself up to his feet, he was met with the sight of a blade being pointed toward him. He shot up straight, raising his hands in defense before he relaxed when he noticed the holder. Erza stood across from him, covered in soot from head to toe. When she noticed that it was him, she let out a sigh of relief and lowered the blade.

"Natsu," she spoke, relief evident in her voice. "It's great to see you."

The fire crackled in the building outside the room, and Natsu glanced warily at it before turning back to her. "Yeah…"

"Erza, I—" Gray ran in from a hallway on the other side of the room. When he noticed Natsu, he skid to a halt, an impassive look overtaking his features. "Natsu."

Natsu nodded in response, but when he turned back to Erza she was already moving towards the hallway Gray had come from. The boys watched her disappear down it before turning towards each other. Gray pointed towards the fire in the other room. "Do you think you could clear some of that up?"

Natsu shook his head. "I don't think I can clear much more," he started, grimacing as he remembered the flames foul taste. "Something is up with the fire. It tastes nasty."

"Damn…" Gray sighed, tucking his hands into his pants pockets. His chest was had a couple of cuts and bruises visible, but most of his body was covered in soot and ashes as well. He wasn't wearing any shirt, and Natsu was sure that he had probably lost it long before the fire had even started. "Help us over here, then."

They made their way down the hallway. There were a couple of closed doors, but they left those alone. Natsu could hear Erza moving around farther down the hallway, and he thought that he heard a voice as well. Perhaps that had been the scream he heard.

The floor shuddered beneath them, sending them flying towards the walls in an attempt to regain their balance. Natsu shook his head softly. All of this shaking was beginning to make him feel a little sick. When he finally pushed himself away from the wall, he spotted Gray already turning the corner at the end of the hallway. He grumbled, cursing his fellow guild member under his breath as he hurried to catch up.

Erza and Gray were waiting for him in the room around the corner. They were both staring down at the ground, which Natsu guessed was a burlap sack. Although, as he spent more time watching it, it looked like it was moving.

"Erza," he started, drawing her gaze to him. "Is there a person in there?"

She hummed in confirmation, and he found himself rubbing his head in slight bewilderment. "Okay… But why do you have a person trapped in a sack?"

"This is a member of the guild that destroyed this town. Gray and I found him trying to hide in here, and after a brief struggle, we managed to trap him. Once he wakes up, we shall question him."

Natsu sighed softly but nodded his head nonetheless. They didn't typically resort to capturing and questioning enemy mages, but Erza was S-Class. When they were out of town, she was the one in charge, and he and Gray respected that. Plus, she probably had the most level-headed mind between the three of them.

"Guys," Gray's voice drew their attention back to the hallway, where he stood trying to cool the steadily approaching fire with his ice. "We should probably get out of here, I don't know how much longer this building will be able to hold."

The building groaned above them again. Natsu quickly picked up the sack and threw it over his shoulder with a grunt. "Gray's right, we need to go."

Erza nodded her head, starting back towards the hallway. Before she could take a single step back around the corner, the ceiling above them collapsed, taking down the surrounding walls with it. The path was entirely blocked, and the flames were growly with renewed vigor. Natsu took a step forward, preparing to eat the fire before Erza stopped him with a raised hand.

"Don't bother eating it right now," she commanded, making her way to the far wall. "We will just have to break our way out. Gray, do you think you could use your ice to bust through the wall?"

Gray quickly glanced over before releasing his magic and moving away from the fire. "Yeah, shouldn't be a problem."

He slammed his palm onto his fist, and Natsu flinched slightly when the burst of cold air hit him. It didn't take long for Gray to summon a hammer made from ice, and Natsu braced himself as Gray swung it towards the wall. The weakened structure crumbled instantly, and they were met with the outside street. They wasted no time, and Natsu quickly followed Erza and Gray out of the building, tightening his grip on the sack as he did so.

While it was a relief to step outside of the burning building, he was once again met with the sight of the town. The fire had spread even further, and from what he could make out from the smoke, it seemed like it had finally covered the entire town. He followed them through the streets, avoiding the worse looking areas and searching for an exit out of the city.

The city was devoid of life, and Natsu feared the worst. He had seen the devastation upon entering the town, but there was no way to tell how many could have been trapped. He gripped the sack tighter, staring into a flaming building as he ran past. He could only hope that Erza and Gray had been able to help more of the citizens escape before he had made it here.

Eventually, they reached the edge of town, and after jumping through a broken portion of the wall, they found themselves in the forest outside. They had been running for a good while, wanting to put some distance between themselves and the town. When Erza finally raised a hand and told them that they could rest, Natsu promptly dropped the sack on the ground, taking a seat beside it.

"Man, that person is heavy…"

Just as Natsu finished, a slight rustle came from the sack. He leaned in a bit closer, watching to see if there was any movement. There was none, and he promptly laid back against the grass. Just as he was placing his hands behind his head, the person within the sack suddenly shouted. The mage burst out, attempting to run into the forest. Natsu jumped to his feet, but before he could do anything, Erza had already tackled the man, taking him down to the ground.

"Ah! Mercy! Mercy!" The mage had a slight accent, and he cried out again as Erza wrenched his arm behind his back. He struggled futilely in her arms, and once Gray placed his foot on the man's head and shoved it into the dirt, he gave up.

"You're finally awake," Erza began, twisting his arm further for emphasis. His face was hidden behind a dark hood, but Natsu could make out a few dark hairs pointing out of the sides. "I have a few questions for you."

The mage was silent for a moment, but after a moment he spat out a laugh. "Sure, you do." The mage turned his head to the side as if trying to look up at Erza. "We've heard all about you, Titania. Our leader spent a while preparing just in case you showed up."

The mage titled his head towards Gray. "We just didn't expect him to be with you."

Gray pushed the sole of his boot harder into the side of the mage's head, making him sputter into the dirt. "Just answer the questions and we'll let you go."

The mage was silent for a moment. "Fine," he replied begrudgingly.

Natsu stood up and moved over to the side of them, idly picking up the empty sack as he did so. A flash of light temporarily blinded him as Erza summoned one of her swords and pointed it towards the mage. "Why was Eisenwald going after Lullaby?" she questioned, "What are your plans?"

The mage sighed, chuckling lightly. "I suppose it doesn't matter if you know. By the time you could do anything, it will already be too late."

"We have been searching for Lullaby for a while. What you saw in Oshibana was only a taste of what's to come." The mage paused for a moment, only to wince when Erza pushed her blade into the side of his neck. "We planned to attack the masters with it. But like I said, no matter what you do, it's already too late. The rest of the guild is already well on their way to the meeting."

The three Fairy Tail mages shared a panicked glance. Gray removed his foot off the mage's head, but before the man could say anything else, Erza slammed the hilt of her sword into the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. She pushed off him, dusting herself off as she did so.

"We need to move," she started, pulling out a communication lacrima. "If he is correct, then we can't waste any time."

Erza turned towards Natsu, and he felt himself stiffen under her gaze. "Natsu. Gray and I will move after Eisenwald immediately. You are going to go back to the guild and get some help. I'm not sure what we will run into once we meet them, and I want us to be prepared."

He nodded his head. He didn't really want to leave them to fight alone, but he understood where she was coming from. The master's meeting was a large gathering, and if Eisenwald was confident enough to attack them, then there probably wasn't much that the three of them could do alone.

"Alright," he replied with a smirk, already having a few possible choices in companions in mind. "I'll meet up with you guys in Clover Town. Stay safe."

* * *

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	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The journey back to Magnolia was much shorter than the trip to Oshibana. But now that he thought about it, perhaps it had to do with the fact that he now had a reason to rush.

Natsu approached the gates, and the guards quickly stepped aside to let him back into the city. He had been traveling on missions for years now for Fairy Tail, and he had learned a few tricks throughout that time. One of those had been through the introduction of communication lacrimas, which Makarov had ensured that all active mages were equipped with. Before arriving at the city, Natsu notified the guards of his arrival, so that he didn't have to worry about any of the standard entrance procedure.

He burst into the guildhall, flinging the large oak doors open while he did so. The small number of members sitting within immediately turned toward him, raising their arms in defense before relaxing once they noticed it was him. He panted slightly as he rested his hands on his knees. Over by the bar, he spotted Lucy and Happy sitting beside Mirajane, who was busy preparing some drinks.

"Mira," he gasped, taking a moment to take another breath while the platinum-haired girl shot him a confused look. "They are going after the gathering in Clover Town! Erza sent be back to get some help!"

Her expression immediately turned serious. Placing the glass down on the bar top, she quickly bent down and pulled out a clipboard from underneath the counter. Natsu made his way over to the bar, coming to a stop beside Lucy. He watched as she quickly began to read through it, glancing up around the guildhall every so often before returning to the object in her hand.

"I see…" she drawled, tracing her finger down the clipboard. "None of our S-Class mages are in at the moment, nor do any look like they'll be returning soon."

She looked towards the rather empty room, a frown overtaking her features. "This isn't good."

Natsu followed her gaze, frowning as well when he noticed the lack of the guild's typical mages. None of the others in the room were authorized to leave the city, and it was seeming as if his search for help may have been futile. Before he was able to turn back to Mira, he felt a slight tug on his pantleg, and he noticed Happy staring at him with a smile.

"Natsu! What happened on the mission?"

A small smile overtook Natsu's face. He would never go into detail about the mission, as it was far too graphic for the small cat, but he could brush over the details slightly. "Nothing much, little buddy. I found Erza and Gray at Oshibana. They had already taken down the bad guys and had even captured one of them. Unfortunately, the rest of the dark guild is making their way to Clover Town. They are trying to attack the masters."

Natsu raised a hand and pointed a thumb at himself. "That's why I'm here. Erza sent me to get some backup…"

At a sudden thought, his voice trailed off. He turned towards Lucy who sat up straighter when his eyes were on her. "That's it! Lucy can be the backup!"

"Ehh?!" The girl in question exclaimed. Lucy turned to Mira who had only raised a finger to her lips as if considering. "Don't tell me you agree with him?"

Mira cracked a small smile. "Well, you are the only current mage within the guild who has been outside the walls before. You can use magic, so it's not like you won't be able to defend yourself if need be. It seems like the best option we have currently, but you can always decline if you don't wish to leave. We wouldn't judge you for choosing not to go."

"Yeah, you don't have to come if you don't want to, but it'd be a big help." Natsu clapped her on the shoulder and Lucy frowned. "Besides, I bet that even Happy could come!"

"Really?!" Happy exclaimed, extending his wings and floating up in front of Natsu's face. "I can finally come with you on a mission?"

Natsu turned towards Mira, who only shrugged and nodded in reply. "I don't see why not. If Lucy goes with you then she would be there to help watch over him."

The fire mage smiled, pulling the cat in and placing him on top of his head. "That's that! Welcome to your first mission Happy!"

"Aye!" Happy cheered, holding a paw up in the air. After pausing for a minute, Happy pointed his paw towards Lucy, who had been watching them with an undecided look on her face the entire time. "Are you going to come too Lucy?"

"I… I'm not sure."

"Come on, Lucy," Natsu begged, clapping his hands together in front of him. "Erza and Gray need our help!"

She seemed to ponder over his words for a few moments before sighing. When she dipped her head and nodded, he smiled. "Thanks, Lucy!"

Happy began to purr from atop his head as the three of them turned towards Mira. She was already marking something down on the clipboard when he spoke up. "Alright, Mira, we're going to leave right away."

She nodded, finishing her writing before turning to them with a serious look on her face. "Be careful, you three. Don't get into any fights that you might not be able to escape from."

Natsu agreed, already beginning to walk away. "Come on, Lucy. We have to catch up to them!"

* * *

The journey to Clover Town was rather peaceful, having spent most of the time traversing through forests or mountain ranges. Now, Natsu found himself trudging along the railroad tracks that hopefully led to Clover Town. He didn't want to admit it, but he had lost track of where they were a few hours back, and Lucy was finally beginning to pick up on it.

"Natsu…" she sighed, staggering behind him with her shoulder slumped. Happy lay asleep in her arms, blissfully unaware of how tired the girl was. "Where are we even going. Are you sure that this is the way?"

He chuckled, wiping away some of the sweat that was dripping down his forehead. "Of course! I've been here plenty of times before."

The canyon around them was deep; far enough down that he couldn't even make out the ground in some parts. Natsu did his best to not look down it but found himself glancing down every so often. He sighed, glancing at the large mountain that lay in front of them. While he knew that they would reach Clover Town eventually, he just hoped that it was sooner rather than later.

"Come on, Luce!" Natsu wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I think it's just over this mountain!"

She sighed before shrugging his arm off. "I hope so…"

The tracks beneath them suddenly began to tremble, and before Natsu knew what was happening, he had fallen and was holding onto them for dear life. Lucy was beside him, with the now awoken Happy clinging on as well. Lucy let out a startled scream, and Happy jumped up and began to float above them, albeit a bit shakily.

"Happy!" Natsu shouted, gathering the cat's attention. Happy flew closer, doing his best to hear him over the trembling of the tracks. "Fly around and try to figure out what's going on!"

"Aye sir!"

The blue cat quickly took off, disappearing down the tracks. Natsu began to shakily make his way to his feet, grabbing onto Lucy's hand as he did so. The shaking was beginning to make him feel sick, and he had to force himself to ignore the nausea that was fighting to overtake him. Pulling on her arm, he pulled her up to her feet beside him. The wooden supports beneath the tracks were creaking and moaning, and he was beginning to worry that they wouldn't hold up.

"N-Natsu!" Lucy's voice dragged his attention away from the supports. "Look!"

Following her gaze, he took a slight step back in trepidation when he noticed the large vortex beginning to form beside the large mountain in front of them. Chunks of rock and earth were being ripped to shreds, with the vortex lifting them high up into the sky.

"Happy!" Natsu yelled, beginning to walk down the track. It was a fight, with the wind pushing back against him making it almost impossible to keep a steady footing. "Happy! Come back!"

He received no response from the feline, making his worry for his partner increase further. Lucy tugged on his hand lightly, stepping beside him. "Come on! Let's keep pushing forward! Happy went towards it! We will have to find him eventually!"

Natsu nodded in agreement, matching pace with Lucy as they continued. As they got closer it was becoming more and more difficult to breath and see. It was as if the air was being sucked away from him before he could even take in a breath. With the debris and dust flying around, he was practically relying only on his smell and hearing to continue forward.

He was halted when an object slammed against his chest, and when he grabbed onto it with the hand that wasn't holding Lucy, he was relieved. Happy was huddled against his chest, shaking slightly, but otherwise seemingly okay. When the cat looked up towards him, he could make out the tears in his eyes, and Natsu immediately regret sending him forward alone.

"What happened? Are you alright, Happy?!"

"A-Aye!" Happy paused, glancing back at the vortex. It was slowly overtaking the mountain, growing bigger by the second. "Erza and Gray are in there! They are trapped!"

Natsu's eyes widened as he glanced back and forth between Lucy, Happy, and the vortex. "What?! What do you mean?!"

"I was flying towards the mountain," Happy began, nestling back in against Natsu. "I had just spotted Erza and Gray. They were fighting someone, but before I could get to them the wind started picking up! I couldn't even break through!"

Natsu breathed out, glancing at the vortex momentarily before patting Happy on the head. "It's alright, we'll figure this out!"

He turned towards Lucy, tightening his grip on her hand. "We need to get closer and find a way in! Any chance that you have a spirit that could help with that?"

She shook her head slowly, quickly grasping the keys that hung from her waist as if she suddenly remembered that they were there. "No, sorry!"

Seeing no other option, he began to march forward once more, ensuring that his grip on Happy and Lucy wouldn't falter. Before long, the trembling in the track got worse, and before they could move any further, a burst of air sent them sliding back. They were only able to remain upright due to Natsu, but even then, it was close.

"Well, what do we have here?"

Natsu perked up as he heard the voice. He searched around the track, even looking into the canyon to find where it was coming from.

"Miss Heartfilia. It's been a while, hasn't it? Last I heard, your father was looking everywhere for you. Little does he know that you've been hiding with these pathetic mages."

Confusion washed over Natsu, and he found himself glancing back at Lucy when he felt her stiffen beside him. She glanced at him with a widened gaze, an almost begging look in her eyes. When he felt the tremble in her hand, he squeezed tightly, doing his best to reassure her.

"N-Natsu! I know who that is!"

Before he could respond, another burst of wind shot towards them. This was different though, and he had barely pushed himself and Lucy to the ground before the wind sliced through the tracks beneath them, sending chunks of wood and metal flying into the canyon below.

"Hopefully you will be a better fight than those other mages. They barely stood a chance."

A ball of wind rose from beneath the tracks. Through the dust, Natsu could barely make out the figure inside. He was covered from head to toe in dark robes, with nothing more than his eyes and a few locks of his white hair showing from within his face mask. He sat within a ball of wind, a large scythe laying across his lap.

"What do you say, Salamander? Shall we fight?"

Letting go of Lucy's hand, he quickly turned back toward her and carefully passed Happy to her. "Take Happy for me. Move back down the tracks and get as far away from us as possible. Once I finish, I'll come and get you two."

To his surprise, Lucy shook her head. "No! Natsu that's Erigor the Death God! You can't beat him alone!"

Natsu grinned, giving her a thumbs up. "Don't worry about me, Lucy. Just keep you and Happy safe and everything will be fine."

She watched him in silence for a moment before quickly nodding. "Alright, but if you need help, we are going to step in."

He chuckled. "Alright."

The pair ran off down the tracks, kneeling and huddling together once they felt that they were out of range. Natsu turned back to Erigor, raising a hand and waving the wind mage towards him. "Let's get this started then."

Erigor said nothing, but with a quick wave of his hands the wind began to circle around him faster. It began to follow the flow of his limbs, and the wind quickly transformed from a ball to matching the form of his body. "Storm Mail."

Natsu frowned, taking a step back as he prepared himself to fire his first attack. Stepping back with one foot, he braced himself. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

The spiral of fire shot towards Erigor. It was fast, and upon the wind mage before he had a chance to react. It slammed into him with an explosion of flames, and Natsu stepped back with a small smirk on his face. It didn't last long. The explosion quickly disappeared, being extinguished by the rapid winds. When the flames were gone, Erigor remained hovering in the air, completely unscathed.

"Is that all you got? You really are more pathetic than those other mages."

Letting out a scream, Natsu jumped up from the tracks below, using his flames to propel him closer to Erigor. Erigor held out his hand, sending another gust of wind to push him back down. Natsu fought against it, gritting his teeth as he began to growl. They were at a stalemate, and Natsu was just about to give up before Erigor released the wind, and Natsu shot up towards him.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

His fist was suddenly engulfed in flames, and as he prepared his attack, he realized that it had been slightly harder to do. Putting as much force into it as possible, he slammed his fist into the wind barrier around Erigor. Natsu resisted against its pull for as long as possible, but his resistance was futile, and he was sent flying back into the tracks below.

"It's useless to resist." Erigor raised a hand, "Storm Shred!"

Many small wind projectiles shot down towards Natsu, forcing him to scramble in order to dodge. When one nicked his shoulder, he winced in pain. It was like someone was trying to separate his arm from the rest of his body. He was sure that the only reason he hadn't lost an arm was because of his enhanced durability.

When the attack finally stopped, Natsu was left heaving for air on the tracks. He attempted to ignite a flame within his palm, but it was useless.

"Interesting. Not many can avoid my attacks as well as you but let's see how you do against this." Erigor began to laugh, pointing down at him with his scythe. "You can't defeat my Storm Mail. This is your last chance to give up."

Natsu didn't respond, but just pushed himself back up to his feet. "I see," Erigor continued. "What a shame that you chose to ally yourself with the Alliance. You would've been a great asset to us. Prepare yourself! This attack has cut through anything that has stood in its path! Emera Baram!"

Erigor bent his arms, pointing his hands up to the sky. His scythe floats in the wind beneath him, resting just beneath his feet. Crossing his arms, quickly flings his hands down towards Natsu, sending a large, concentrated blast of wind directly towards Natsu. It nailed the dragon slayer right in the chest, sending him tumbling back across the tracks and into the canyon below.

"Natsu!"

The sensation of falling was one that Natsu hadn't experienced before. At first, everything felt light, as if he was standing on nothing, but the next, the wind was whipping across his face and he was left gasping for air. Upon opening his eyes, he could see the ground below quickly approaching, and he quickly began to panic. He knew that he only had one shot, and he would have to try and land perfectly in order to not end up seriously hurting himself. Just as he was preparing for the impact, he felt something grab onto the back of his cloak and he came to a sudden stop.

Turning around to look behind him, Natsu let out a relieved breath when he noticed Happy holding him up. The small cat gave him a smile, although Natsu could see the strain placed on Happy from having to hold him up.

"Thanks, Happy!" Natsu pointed a finger back up to the tracks. "Take me back up there!"

"Aye!"

Within moments, Natsu was standing on the track once more. He quickly took a moment to regain a sense of his surroundings. The tracks below him looked to be barely holding up. If he wasn't careful, it looked like one false step could send him plummeting into the canyon once again. Glancing up to the sky, he could make out Erigor's form floating above him. The wind mage said nothing as Happy quickly flew back to Lucy.

"Impressive. No one has ever stood against that spell before and survived."

Natsu frowned, growing more frustrated at the lack of results. "Yeah, well, I'm not your typical mage."

"Clearly."

Natsu ignited his body in flames. "I'm getting tired of this."

He pushed the flames further, forcing them to grow in intensity. Erigor just watched him from above, impassive to his display. But as Natsu put more magic into his flames, there was a slight shift in the wind, and Natsu suddenly found the wind being sucked into his flames. Turning back to Erigor, he could see the mage's eyes wide with shock.

Natsu continued to increase the intensity, beginning to melt the iron tracks beneath him. He bent his knees, bracing himself. As he watched Erigor, he could finally see the wind mage struggling to keep his control over the wind. His Storm Mail was failing, allowing for gaps to sporadically appear.

"Let's see how you like this," Natsu launched himself into the air, ensuring that the flames remained the entire time. "Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"

His attack burst through the remnants of Erigor's Storm Mail, nailing him in the abdomen. The wind mage let out a scream of pain before being launched into the tracks below. He crashed through the wooden supports, sending splinters everywhere as he fell into the canyon below. Natsu landed back on the undamaged portion of the track, although that seemed to be lessening by the second.

He turned back towards Lucy and Happy, giving them a quick thumbs up. He could sense their relief from here, and while they began to make their way to him he turned back towards the spot where Erigor had disappeared. If he had to guess, that attack hadn't put him completely out of action, but he didn't seem to be returning anytime soon. Looking down the track, he noticed the scythe laying on its surface.

He couldn't stop the nagging feeling that something was off. That fight had almost seemed too easy. Looking down the track, the vortex still raged on. It had stopped growing, but it still overtook the mountain and created a wall of wind that reached up high into the sky. If that truly had been the Death God that he just faced, then they probably had something big to worry about up ahead.

* * *

 **There's the Chapter! I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for all the support! I truly appreciate it!**

 **Follow me on Twitter at PFWriting if you ever want to get in contact with me or receive updates on my writing!**

 **Thanks for all the favorites, follows, and reviews(Awareness Bringer).**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Natsu stumbled over to Lucy trying to recover as much magic as possible. The twister still raged on down the track, with the roar of the wind filling his head and making it hard to breath. When he finally reached the Lucy, he quickly grasped onto her hand and pulled her up to her feet. Happy was flying beside her head as he stared down into the deep cavern below.

"I did it," Natsu gasped, releasing Lucy's hand once he ensured that she wouldn't fall over. "He won't be getting back up any time soon."

"Aye! Are you okay, Natsu?!" Happy cried. The cat turned back toward him, and Natsu could make out the worry shining on the cat's face.

"Don't worry little buddy," Natsu said as he patted the top of his head. "We are going to stop whoever is doing this."

He turned back towards Lucy. "You ready?"

She nodded before she reached out and pulled Happy against her chest. They turned, and with much difficulty they began to make their way down the track. The wind made it difficult to move and with every step they took it seemed as if the next was twice as difficult to take. Natsu kept glancing back at the pair behind him to ensure that they were able to keep up with him.

The track ahead was rapidly being ripped apart inch by inch. Chunks of wood and debris flew by his head, so he was forced to keep his arms up to protect himself. From within the storm, he was able to make out a couple flashes of light. It wasn't clear, but it was enough for him to know that someone was using their magic from within.

"Come on!" Natsu waved his hand forward. "We need to keep going! We are almost there!"

He couldn't make out either of their replies over the roar of the wind, but he refused to stop. Another burst of wind shot out from the twister, making him clench his teeth as he fought to remain standing. Putting one foot in front of the other was growing more impossible by the second. He glanced down as he began to feel himself sliding back from the force of the wind. He needed to figure out how to get past this wind quickly. Gray and Erza were waiting for him.

Suddenly the wind came to a halt and his body jerked forward onto the tracks. He looked back up and could only watch in astonishment as the wind dissipated into nothing. Lucy gasped behind him, and he knew that she was looking on in disbelief as well. The chaos that had once overtaken the canyon was finally gone, leaving the land around them eerily silent.

"What do you think happened?" Lucy questioned, moving up to stand beside him. The wooden tracks groaned beneath her feet. Natsu briefly wondered how stable the tracks were.

He watched the end of the track, where the storm had first started. "I'm not sure, but I think that we should go find out."

Another flash of light shone down the track, and Natsu sucked in a breath of air. With the storm gone, it was all too easy to recognize.

"That's Erza!" he shouted, breaking out into sprint. "Come on!"

The journey down the track was easy from that point. There were no signs of any enemies, and with the wind gone there was nothing to slow them down. By the end of the track, they were hopping over and avoiding as much of the broken chunks of tracks and support beams as possible. When he finally stepped foot inside of the forest Natsu sighed in relief.

"Finally," he whispered to himself. "Back on land."

There was another flash of light, but this time it was followed by a short burst of icy-air. "That must be Gray!"

He ran through the forest, noting how Lucy let go of Happy in favor of grasping onto her keys. The cat flew high above their heads, looking farther into the forest to try and locate any of their fellow mages. It only took a few minutes of running before Happy eventually called down to them and pointed in one direction.

"Did you find something Happy?" Natsu called up, slowing down as he raised his hand to keep the sun out of his eyes.

"Aye! It's Gray! It looks like he is fighting someone!"

Natsu wasted no time and continued pushing through the forest. There was no sign of him until he spotted a few sporadic icicles shooting up into the air. When he ducked behind a tree, he finally spotted the ice-mage. Gray was staring around the forest, as if looking for something. He had his hands held out in front of him, ready to cast a spell at a moment's notice.

"Gray!"

The teen in question whipped towards him, his eyes going wide.

"Shhh!" Gray hissed, raising a finger to his lips. "Be quiet!"

Natsu crouched down and motioned for Lucy to do so as well. He glanced warily around the forest, searching for any sign of what Gray might have been looking for. Besides the light rustle of the trees, and a few birds chirping, he heard nothing. After a few minutes of silence, his patience was running thin and he slid over to Gray.

"What are we doing here?"

"Shhh!"

"Would you stop telling me to be quiet and answer my question?!"

"Shut up, I'm trying to listen!"

"Who do you think you are telling me to shut up! If you just answered my question than I wouldn't have to be asking so much!"

"Natsu, for the last time, be quiet!"

"Why you—"

"Look out!"

Lucy's sudden scream startled him. He jumped up, raising his fists to defend himself only to be flung backwards by something slamming into his chest. He collided hard with the group, tumbling wildly before coming to a stop as he crashed into a tree. The wind was knocked out of him, leaving him slumped over and gasping for air.

"Natsu! Are you okay?!"

He sent the girl a thumbs up in response as he was too dizzy to reply verbally. He slowly pushed himself up to his feet using the tree for support. Gray suddenly shouted, and he quickly grasped onto the tree with all his might when a spell was cast. As Natsu followed the spell, it hit nothing, colliding instead with another tree.

"What…"

"Natsu!"

He had no time to react before he was lifted into the air by Happy. The ground where he once stood lit up in a bright explosion, sending dirt flying high into the air. He watched the ground with wide eyes before muttering a quick thank you to Happy. His gaze shifted back up to Gray, who was now standing with his arms outstretched with frost glistening around his closed fists.

"What was that?" Natsu questioned. He was slowly placed back on the ground by Happy. "I couldn't even hear it coming."

"I'm not sure," Gray replied, glancing at him quickly. "He showed up with another mage a little while back. This one chased after me while the other went after Erza. I haven't been able to land a single hit on this guy."

"Erza is here too?"

Gray nodded in affirmation. "We split up a little while back. Figured that it would be easier to deal with these two on our own."

"Fair enough," Natsu tightened his fists as he glanced at Lucy. "Looks like we are the backup."

There was a bright flash of light, and this time Natsu could only look on as Gray scrambled to get away. The ice mage had barely taken three steps before an explosion detonated where he once stood, flinging the mage off into the forest. His pained scream was the last thing Natsu heard before he lost sight of his fellow mage.

A figure stood in the center of the explosion, and Natsu wasted no time in sending a burst of flames their way. He prepared to charge, but before he could do anything, they were gone once again. Natsu gritted his teeth, tightening his fists in frustration. How was he supposed to fight something that he couldn't even see?

He quickly glanced back at Lucy, only to pause when he noticed the look on her face. She was staring back at him, an overwhelming sense of fear shining within the girl's eyes. He suddenly felt remorseful for bringing the her along. She was still a novice mage, only having reached the guild a few weeks ago. Being thrust into a dangerous situation like this wasn't easy, and he should've known better than to put her through it so soon.

Taking a step closer, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her reassuringly. "Don't worry. Gray and I will handle this. You hang back with Happy and use your keys when you think it's best. Besides, I still want to see what your magic can do."

Lucy breathed out in relief, but Natsu could still feel the tension in her shoulders. He supposed that any bit of relief was better than none. They were still going to be entering a fight, after all.

There was a slight rustling to his right, and when he turned to look, a fist was already flying at his face. He instinctively ducked down, dragging Lucy down to the ground with him. He stayed in front of her, shielding her own body from any further attacks. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't sense anything. No smells, no noises, nothing in the forest even looked out of the ordinary. It was the first time he had ever been unable to utilize his enhanced senses.

"Stay low," he whispered, searching for Happy. When he found the small cat still shaking in the bush, he quickly waved to him. It didn't take long for Happy to understand his message, and the cat flew over to his side. "Watch over Lucy for me, little buddy. I know you're scared, but if anything happens take Lucy and fly away."

Happy nodded, and when Natsu reached out to pet him, he could feel the cat trembling as well. He needed to deal with this guy as fast as possible.

Gray was just making his way back over, and from the looks of it, he wasn't doing too good. Natsu noticed the trail of blood leading from his forehead down to his chin, and the ice mage was wavering from side to side, needing to use the trees to keep himself up. "Gray," he shouted, uncaring if the enemy heard him. "Can you keep going?"

Gray snorted, although his voice wavered when he spoke. "Of course I can. This is nothing more than a scratch."

"Cocky bastard," Natsu muttered lowly. He pushed the thought of Gray away, stepping into the small crater that had been formed from the explosion directed at him. There had to be some way to detect this person's attacks. They couldn't be completely helpless…

"Well, I'm afraid that's all the time I have for today, Fairy Tail."

Natsu whipped his head to the side when he heard the voice. The person stood off to the side, idly leaning against one of the trees as he played with something in his hands. Underneath his long, blond mohawk, he had a smirk plastered across his face. It was one that annoyed Natsu to no end, and he wanted nothing more than to punch it right off his face.

"It would seem that my comrades have completed their tasks, so there is no point in distracting you any longer," they announced, taking a slight step forward as he tossed the item in his hand up and down. "You've already lost, Fairy Tail, and you don't even realize it yet."

The man seemed to pause for a moment, as if listening to something. "Ahh," he sighed, pressing a button on the object. "It would seem that that would be my queue to go, but I think I should at least introduce myself before I go."

"My name is Racer," Racer spoke, the smirk growing even larger. "I'm a member of the Oracion Seis, and with what we have done here today, your alliance won't be doing much of anything to stop us."

He threw the object at them, and a dull beep was all that he heard as it approached them. Natsu dove to the side, shoving Lucy and Happy as far away as possible, but it wouldn't be enough. He had just thrown himself on top of them in a desperate attempt to shield them when Lucy held up a key. It created a golden light that left Natsu momentarily blinded.

Before he knew what happened, all the light disappeared from around him and he found himself deep within a tunnel. They were surrounded by dirt, and he could feel a chunk of rock digging into his back beneath him. Lucy and Happy safely sat there alongside him, but also a maid with pink hair that he had never seen before.

The earth rumbled above them, and for a few brief moments, Natsu was worried that the tunnel would collapse on top of them. But the rumbling slowly faded away, and he found himself staring up at what he assumed was the entrance.

"Thank you, Virgo," Natsu heard Lucy say, her voice echoing in the tunnel. "I'm sorry to call upon you so suddenly like that."

The maid only nodded, waving her hand to reveal the exit back into the forest. "That's alright, Miss Heartfilia. May I take my leave, now?"

Natsu just turned and began to climb out of the tunnel. It was deeper than he had initially imagined, and his hands slipped a few times as he tried to pull himself up. When there was a flash of light from behind him, he knew that the maid had gone. Happy flew out over his head, flying away and back into the forest. As soon as he reached the top, he turned back around to give Lucy a hand in exiting the tunnel as well.

The land outside of the tunnel was unrecognizable from the once lush forest. Gone were the trees and foliage, leaving only a barren land behind. The explosion hadn't been too big, but it was enough to make a clear impact on the earth.

Natsu noticed the large dome of ice that lay off to one side of the clearing. It was cracked open, and Gray was standing out beside it. He was relieved at the sight. Even though he would never admit it, he did worry for his fellow mage at times. But he also knew that Gray could handle himself when it came down to it.

"Natsu…" Gray muttered, garnering his attention. The ice-mage was looking behind him, and Natsu turned to follow his gaze.

Smoke filled the air, blocking out the once clear sky. Pillars of flames and smoke shot high up into the air, growing rapidly as more of the forest began to burn. Natsu felt his breath get caught in his throat. He had already figured out what had happened before Gray even spoke it.

"They blew up Clover Town."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**

 **As asked by Lord Jaric after the last chapter: Many of the Fairy Tail mages have not been given clearance to leave the town on missions alone yet. Typically, it requires an S-Class mage to be present for many of them to be allowed out on most missions. Natsu and Gray are among a few of the exceptions. But when Natsu ran back to the guild in the last chapter, none of the typical mages that assist on missions were there at the time (AKA Levy, Max, Elfman, etc) and he was in a bit of a rush. Hopefully that answer is clear.** **I'll be sure to explain more about the differences in how the guild operates in the future. Once this arc settles down a bit.** **:D**

 **If you have any further questions, you can always ask in a review or send me a PM.**

 **Feel free to follow me on Discord - PFWriting for updates.**

 **Thanks to the favorites, follows, and reviews(Awareness Bringer, Lord Jaric, CathJorda)!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Natsu, have you found anything?"

Natsu lifted a charred piece of wood, sucking in the last bits of the sparkling fire. When he threw the wood aside, it shuddered and disintegrated as it connected with the ground. "Nothing."

He sighed, feeling full of all the fire he had eaten. Glancing over at Erza, he shook his head at her questioning gaze. When they had finally made their way here there had been little more than the smoldering remains of the buildings. They had been too late. Clover Town had been destroyed.

"Where could they have gone? I mean, there's no way that the Oracion Seis could have defeated them. The Master was supposed to be here," Gray said.

"I'm not sure," Erza replied, changing back into her Heart Kreuz armor with a flash. "The Oracion Seis were strong. It would be rash to doubt their ability."

They fell silent at that. The group continued to shuffle around the ruins, but as more time passed with little turning up, Natsu's hope only continued to drop. He glanced over at Lucy, who was taking a break over by the edge of the town. Happy floated beside her, chatting away, but he could tell that the cat's voice had far less enthusiasm than usual.

"Ah, there you are! I thought I had heard voices."

Natsu turned towards the voice, eyes widening when they met its origin.

"Gramps!"

He rushed over to the older man, jumping over random chunks of debris as he did so. The master was brushing off his orange clothes, while using an enlarged hand to hold up a large chunk of wood. It didn't take long for the rest of the guild masters to step out from underneath the cover. A couple of them looked over at the Fairy Tail group with a smile, while others wore a serious look.

Makarov stepped closer to them, watching them seriously. His previously stark-white cloak was covered in soot, with the edges torn and burnt away. That's not to mention his lopsided hair, which served to give him a crazy, frazzled look.

"Are you alright?!" Natsu questioned, coming to a stop in front of him.

Makarov brushed a bit more dirt off his shoulder. "I'm alright, my boy. I've been through worse before."

"What happened?" Erza chimed in, finally reaching them while she inspected the rest of the group with a critical eye. "We were on our way here when we were attacked by some members of the Oracion Seis. I was engaged in battle with Cobra, but the next thing I knew, the city was in flames."

She glanced over at Natsu. "Good thing Natsu made it in time to help."

Natsu let out a puff of smoke as Gray stepped forward. "I was caught up fighting someone named Racer. He moved faster than I anything I have ever seen. I couldn't even hit him."

Makarov contemplated their words, a hand resting under his chin. "I see…" he drawled, glancing over at Bob, the master of Blue Pegasus. "I guess it is a good thing that we held this meeting."

Bob, along with a few of the other masters nodded in agreement. "Yes, I would have to agree, Maky."

Makarov glanced at the other guild masters before turning back to the Fairy Tail group. "We will discuss this more when we return to the guild. The masters have decided on a course of action, but we will all need time to prepare."

They fell silent at that, and Natsu looked up when Happy landed on his head. After offering the cat a small smile, he glanced around at the smoldering village around him, a thought popping into his head. "What happened here, Gramps? How come you weren't able to stop them?"

Makarov turned back to him. "We had been caught off guard. They were well prepared, and we quickly became pre-occupied with moving any civilians to safety. By the time we were able to tell what was happening, they had already begun the bombing."

Natsu shared a quick glance with Gray. "The rest of the guild-masters ran for safety while helping the townsfolk," Makarov continued, "I, on the other hand, encountered the leader of the Oracion Seis, who went by the name of Brain."

"There wasn't much more to it. I briefly fought him before returning to the shelter myself. When I finally heard your voices, we came out of the cover."

Makarov glanced around the remnants of the town, and Natsu followed his gaze. They had caused so much damage in such a little time. There had only been the few of them, apparently. Racer, Cobra, and Brain. Yet, they had been able to wipe out the entire town, and on top of that, do it all while the guild-masters had been here.

He took a deep breath, the smell of burnt wood and ashes overtaking him. He coughed a few times, using the edge of his scarf to wipe the edge of his mouth. "Is there anything else, Gramps? Anything that we need to help with?"

Makarov shook his head, pulling out a piece of paper from his coat pocket before handing it to Bob. "Nothing right now, my boy. Those who have escaped from Clover Town have already been sent on their way to Hargeon Port. There, they will hopefully be able to find some aid and rest."

The older man withdrew a wooden stick from his pocket. At least, that's what Natsu assumed it was at first, but as he looked closer he could make out many small indents and holes. The other masters gave it a wary glance, but Makarov just quickly snapped it into two pieces.

"Eisenwald had proven to cause the most trouble today. Unfortunately, I had only been able to stop them after the attack had started, but it hadn't taken me long to deal with the main problem. What's more concerning is that they now have the Oracion Seis backing them up." Makarov chucked the pieces of wood into a pile of rubble behind him. "Or rather, they used to."

He turned towards Natsu and the group, offering a small wave of his hand. "There's nothing more that we can do here currently. It's time to return to Magnolia and prepare."

* * *

Natsu stumbled into the guildhall, flinging himself onto one of the wooden benches after he crossed the threshold. He was tired, and he had struggled to keep himself awake for the journey back. Traveling through the canyon had proven to be much more tiresome the second time around. When there was severe a lack of urgency or thrill of an upcoming fight, it took a lot to keep himself motivated and moving.

The mages that were already occupying the building looked over when the doors opened and let out a cheer when their master made his way over to the bar. Through blurry eyes, Natsu watched as Makarov shared a few words with Mirajane before withdrawing to his office. Erza was quick to follow.

"Natsuuuu…" Happy sighed, floating to a stop on his head. "I'm hungry…"

The sudden rumbling of his own stomach rejuvenated him, and he shot back up to his feet. Happy had grabbed onto his hair to prevent himself from being thrown off, and Natsu winced when he felt the tugging. "I'm hungry too, buddy! Let's go see if Mira can make us anything!"

Natsu made to start walking to the bar but was interrupted by a sharp tug on his sleeve. "Wait!"

He turned around to see Lucy standing there staring at him. There was an indecipherable look in her eyes, and from the frown on her face it probably wasn't good. "Yeah, Luce?"

Lucy hesitated in replying, her eyes falling to the ground. After a few moments of silence, she eventually looked back up, muttering. "Never mind."

"What do you mean? What's—"

He was interrupted by Elfman grabbing his arm and starting to drag him away. Happy quickly jumped off his head and flew over to the bar. "Natsu! Come show them how to be real men!"

"W-Wait, Elfman!" he gasped, struggling to get out of the larger man's grasp. "Let me go!"

It was to no avail, and the last thing that Natsu saw before being dragged outside was the downtrodden look on Lucy's face. Elfman's grasp didn't let up as he dragged Natsu throughout the town. After a few minutes of struggling, Natsu had just given up and let the man carry him. There was no escaping his grasp anyway.

He was eventually brought to a dark, quieter corner of town. The paved street came to an end and left nothing more than a rough dirt path to take its place. The wall of the town loomed tall above them, blocking out the sun. There were only a few smaller buildings here, with a couple of farms decorating the land outside of them. Besides that, there didn't seem to be much over here.

"Why are you bringing me here, Elfman?"

The bigger man didn't respond, but instead stepped up to a door and tapped on the dark wood. After a few moments, the door opened to reveal an older man. He was short, with tanned skin and a large, white beard. A headpiece sat atop his head, which looked to be one that was made of different feathers. Natsu was sure that he had never seen this man around town before.

"Is this the dragon slayer?" the man grumbled, opening the door a bit more.

"He is the manliest dragon slayer I know!"

Natsu rolled his eyes at Elfman's reply. He twisted and squirmed his way out of Elfman's grasp before falling on the group. He stood back up, grumbling as he wiped away the dirt that had gathered on his pants. "Why did you take me here?"

Elfman looked down at Natsu now, seemingly surprised that he had escaped his grasp. "Sorry, Natsu! Master's orders. I was just told to take you here."

Without any further words, Elfman scurried away, leaving Natsu alone with the man. "Uhhh—"

"Well come on in, then," The man interrupted, turning away and stepping into the small house. "There are some things we must discuss."

Natsu followed the man in. The house was small, with barely any furniture or décor. There just lay a simple round wood table in the center, with a small kitchen on one side of the room. A bed roll lay unfolded in the corner, clearly having been used.

"Would you like anything to drink?" the man questioned, picking up the kettle from the stove. "I have a bit of tea here."

Natsu shook his head, pulling out one of the chairs from underneath the table. He winced at the screeching it made on the old, wooden floor. "I'm fine."

"Suit yourself."

The man busied himself at the kitchen set, a few plates and dished clinking and clattering together. Natsu lost track of how long he had been sitting there, but by the time the man joined him at the table, he had been on the brink of falling asleep. He was only jolted awake when the man placed his plate down on the table.

"I suppose I should start by introducing myself." The man took a bit out of the pastry before taking a long sip of his tea. "My name is Roubaul, and I am the guild-master of Cait Shelter. I have been acquainted with your master, Makarov for a long time. When I heard that he had a dragon slayer in his guild, I knew that I needed to come for a visit."

Natsu pondered over the man's words. A dragon slayer? Why would that interest him? Unless…

"Do you know where Igneel is?!" Natsu exclaimed, only to quiet down when the man sent him a disapproving look. "Have you heard from him?"

"No." The man shook his head. "I do not know who that is, but I can only assume that he was the dragon who trained you. I am here for a different reason."

He continued before Natsu could question him on what he meant. "I had never been sure if there were any other dragon slayers out there. You couldn't even begin to imagine the relief I felt when I learned of your existence."

Natsu met his eyes, and true to his word, he could see the relief on the older man's face. It was practically radiating from him, and Natsu shuffled slightly in his seat. What did he mean?

"You see, one of the members of my guild is a dragon slayer as well. She has been looking for you for a very long time, and I've been doing all I could to help her in her search. Please," The man reached over, grabbing Natsu's hands in his own. "Come with me to Cait Shelter. She is too young to remember much of what she had learned from her parent. She needs someone to guide her in the ways of her magic. I can't do that, and well…"

The man trailed off, a faraway look overtaking his face. "Never mind that last part," he finished, his voice wavering slightly.

"So, what do you say?" He released Natsu's hands, and the dragon slayer took that moment to put a little more space between them. "Will you come with me?"

Natsu stumbled over his response, the information that the man had shared with him being too much to take in all at once. Another dragon slayer? He only knew of one other—Black Steel—whom he had never met before. To be honest, from what he heard of his fellow slayer, he wasn't sure that he wanted to either. But there had been a third dragon slayer the entire time?

"Where is she?" he finally replied, crossing his arms across his chest. "And how do I know that I can trust you?"

"You can ask Makarov if you truly doubt me," Roubaul stated, "But you already know that I am speaking the truth."

He fell silent, contemplating. On one hand, the potential of meeting another dragon slayer could be a once in a lifetime chance. Perhaps they could lead him to Igneel, or at least have some information that could help him in finding his father. But on the other, he would most likely have to step away from what was happening here, right after suffering through the attack on the Oracion Seis.

It seemed that the older man had sensed his unease, as he leaned forward and placed his hands on the table, the wood creaking under his weight. "Please, young man. She needs your help. Especially in this dark time."

Natsu sighed. He had made up his mind. "How long will it take?"

"A few weeks," Roubaul replied, a smile appearing on his face. "Thank you for accepting. It will mean a lot to her."

Roubaul slowly took another sip of his drink. "I will give you the rest of the night to prepare. Please gather whatever you want to bring with you and meet me here at sunrise. Then, we shall depart for my guild, Cait Shelter."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Feel free to follow me on Twitter at PFWriting for updates!**

 **Thanks for all the follows, favorites, and reviews(Awareness Bringer, Ushindeshi, Lady of the Sphinx, and Crusader Jerome). I appreciate the advice and criticisms, and you can be sure that I take it all into consideration!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Lucy's hands trembled as she held the letter. It wasn't as if she hadn't been expecting something like this to happen, she just hoped that it _wouldn't_.

She crumpled up the paper, tossing it into the bin across the room. Her father was as persistent as always. She didn't know how he did it, but he somehow managed to track her down to Magnolia. Part of her wanted to argue that it should've been impossible, but with all the missions she had suddenly been dragged onto, it was entirely possible that someone who worked for her father had seen her.

Perhaps it had been Erigor himself who had reported the news to her father, but it shouldn't have been possible for him to survive the fall in the canyon…

Using the back of her hand to wipe away the tears on her cheeks, she pushed herself off the plush bed and made her way over to the dresser. There wasn't much time to dwell on the words of the letter. She had agreed to meet Levy at the library, and she still needed to get changed out of her night clothes.

She let out a shaky breath as she slipped into the outfit. Natsu had left Magnolia a few days ago, refusing to tell anyone about what he was doing. Even Happy had been left in the dark, which rarely seemed to happen from what she heard.

In the days since he had left, she had temporarily moved into a spare room within the guild. With the town's population having increased as of late, there were very few apartments available for rent, and none of them were anywhere near the price that she could afford. Luckily, she had learned of Fairy Hills from Mira. While she would have to pay some rent, it was far cheaper than any other places in town. All she had to do was wait until they finished some of the renovations that were in progress for some of the rooms.

There was a loud crash outside of her door and she winced as someone began to yell. "Does this guild ever quiet down?" she muttered in exasperation.

It didn't take her long to finish getting ready, and she silently slipped out the door and stepped into the guild hall. Since the second floor was off limits, their spare bedrooms were all located on the ground floor. In retrospect, that was probably far from the best place for them.

"Watch out!"

Lucy barely had any time to react before a barrel slammed into the wall beside her, shattering upon impact. She let out a yelp, jumping back as she raised her arms to protect herself. When she finally turned to the culprit, she found Gray staring back at her with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, Lucy!" Gray shouted, beginning to pull of his shirt. "Elfman thought that he—"

Lucy winced as a chair slammed into him, cutting him off. He was sent tumbling back, coming to a stop just as Elfman let out a victorious roar about being manly. Not wanting to get caught in anymore crossfire, she decided that this would be a good time to take her leave.

As she stepped outside, she sighed lightly when she felt the warm air. The sky was clear and blue, with no clouds in sight. There was nothing like summer, and she smiled as reminisced on some old memories with her mother. That was a much more peaceful time.

The library wasn't far from the guild, and within ten minutes she found herself standing outside of the doors. There was a sign that hung off the front, with the words _Magnolia Library_ painted in black etched across it. A few people were outside, either reading a book or chatting with friends. As she walked inside, she received a few curious glances, but was otherwise left alone.

With her bright blue hair, Levy was very easy to spot, and Lucy quickly made her way over to her table. Her fellow mage was so engrossed by the book that her presence wasn't even acknowledged until Lucy purposefully cleared her throat. The sound startled Levy, who jumped in her seat.

"Ah, Lucy!" she exclaimed, hastily closing the book and placing it on the table. "You finally made it!"

Lucy sat down in the seat across from her, raising a finger to her lips to quiet her. She tried to glance at the title of the book, but Levy had placed her hand over it, obscuring it from her view. "Yeah, sorry. I got a little caught up."

Levy waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it!" She paused when a few people shot her a dirty look before continuing in a whisper. "Now that you're here we can start. No one else in the guild likes to read, so I've been dying to chat with you!"

"Great." Lucy smiled, although it didn't last for long. She couldn't remember the last time she had taken time to relax and chat with a friend. It had certainly never happened after her mother had died. Even before then, her mother would be the only person to take the time to relax with her. No one else wanted to risk anything in her father's presence, else they suffer his wrath.

She tried to turn her thoughts away from her father, but it proved to be difficult. With the letter from earlier still weighing on her mind, he would probably be on her thoughts for a while.

"What's wrong?" Levy questioned, making Lucy glance back up. She tried to smile once again, but it was forced. It was clear that her fellow mage noticed it too, as she only looked on with a look of disbelief. "Really, tell me what's wrong."

Lucy fiddled with the keychain wrapped around her waist. She wished that it was an easy topic to talk about, but just like everything with her father, it never was. She didn't want to risk endangering Levy either. The blue-haired mage had been such a great friend throughout the time she had been in Fairy Tail. She didn't know what she would do if Levy ever got hurt because of her.

"Seriously," Levy pleaded, reaching over to grab one of her wrists. "We are friends, aren't we? Plus, you're a member of Fairy Tail. We help each other here, no matter the danger. If you keep everything bottled up, then it will never get better."

"All right," Lucy nodded hesitantly, chewing on her lip. "It's just my father. He knows that I'm here. In Fairy Tail, I mean. It seems that he hasn't taking a liking towards my decision. He has always despised this guild."

Levy nodded slowly. "He was the reason you ran away, right?"

"Yes." He was the main reason, at the least.

"You should tell the master about this," Levy spoke, continuing before Lucy could respond. "He would be able to help you. He would never abandon any of us. It's part of the reason he created such harsh rules about leaving the city. It would destroy him if anything happened to any of us."

There seemed to be some hidden meaning in her words, but Levy's tone quickly changed. "The master would ensure that you were safe. Plus, you already have a ton of questing under your belt. He has obviously seen that you can handle yourself. To be honest, I can't believe that you have gone on so many! It's only been a month since you joined, and you have already been on more quests than many of the other members."

"Well, I'm not sure if that is a good thing." Lucy was glad for the sudden change in topic, although Levy's words remained in her head. Perhaps she should talk to the master. He had been helpful so far, and he would have more ability to help than many others.

"Are you kidding me?" Levy's excitement was contagious, and Lucy soon found herself smiling alongside the girl. She had never met someone so bubbly before, although Mira was probably a close second. "You'll need to tell me all about them. I've dreamed about being let out on missions, but I haven't been able to pass the promotion test."

Levy let go of her wrist, looking down at the table with a dramatic sigh. "The master keeps making them harder and harder. It's no wonder that so few members are S-Class mages."

"The promotion test?" Lucy questioned.

"That's right! You don't know what they are!" Levy reached down to her pocket and pulled out a pen and a small piece of paper. She quickly wrote down a few letters before pointing at the first one she wrote. "S-Class mages are at the top of the guild. They are the strongest members that a guild has, besides the Guild Master of course."

She pointed at the next letter with her pen. "Then we have A-Class and below. Every mage can rise through the ranks up to A-Class on their own. To reach S-Class, however, you have to pass the promotion test."

"How do you take the test? Do you just ask the master about it?"

Levy shook her head. "The tests are usually held once a year, but sometimes there could be a longer wait depending on how many people the master determines are ready. The tests are so hard that no one has made S-Class for two years straight now. The last person to get it was Mirajane."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Mira is an S-Class mage?!"

"Yep," Levy frowned, "Although she hasn't been an active mage for a while. She sticks to the guild now. She likes serving the guild members more nowadays."

There seemed to be an odd tone to her words, but Levy quickly moved on before she could put to much thought into it. "We only have four other S-Class mages beside Mira. The first, and oldest, being Gildarts. He is easily the strongest member of our guild. If he really wanted to, I bet he could even give the master a run for his money."

"Hmm," Lucy muttered. The name seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite remember where she had heard it. "I think Natsu has mentioned him before."

Levy nodded. "That would make sense. They are rather close."

She held up three fingers. "The next was Laxus, the master's grandson. Followed by Mystogan and Erza. Laxus and Mystogan aren't around very much. In fact, no one beside the master has ever actually seen what Mystogan looks like. It's part of his magic, I think. Whenever he comes around, we all suddenly fall asleep."

"That's about it." Levy shrugged, idly tapping the pencil on the table. "Four years straight of passing, only for no one to succeed for the past two. Hopefully that will change this year. I think that the master could use more help outside of the town."

A voice pulled their attention away from their conversation. Lucy turned to see the librarian glaring at them from the front desk. "Would you two keep it down over there?! There are people trying to work here!"

Lucy averted her eyes away from the irate old woman as Levy apologized meekly before turning back to the paper. "I'm a B-Class mage. I have only been chosen to participate in one of the promotion tests so far, but I should be on track to try again this year."

"Wait a second," Lucy thought back to Levy's earlier words. "You said that you haven't been let out on missions? Are Natsu and Gray S-Class mages?"

"Ehhh, not exactly." Levy circled the letter A on the paper. "You see, A-Class is the rank just below S-Class, so they are the next strongest. Natsu and Gray are both A-Class. They typically wouldn't be allowed out on missions, but the master makes a few occasional exceptions. It makes me a bit jealous at times."

Levy shrugged, crumpling up the paper and placing it off to the side. "It's alright though. They are both the favorites to become S-Class next. The guild is split in half on who will make it in the next test."

She gave Lucy a sideways look. "Perhaps you could share the details of those missions with me. Which one of them was stronger? How many mages did each one of them take down?"

Lucy mind slipped back to the fight against Erigor, and the following battle against Racer. "Well, I wouldn't say that one is necessarily stronger. I was amazed by both of their abilities, really. Natsu did defeat Erigor."

She looked back up as Levy let out a small cheer. "Yes! I placed my bet on Natsu. Mira did as well…Although Cana placed her bet on Gray, I think. I wonder who Erza chose…"

Levy raised a hand to her chin as she continued to think, and Lucy let the girl continue with her muttering. She wondered where she fell on the ranking list. There was no way that she was anywhere near Natsu or Gray, but she hoped that she wasn't too low. Her spirits did have plenty of useful abilities after all.

"Wait a second," Lucy chimed in, giving Levy an odd look. "Didn't you say that you would be competing as well?"

"Ahh, yeah." Levy awkwardly laughed, rubbing the back of her head. "Well, while I hope to win, it wouldn't really be realistic. Compared to me, those two are on an entirely different level. Perhaps in a few years I will stand a better chance."

She suddenly looked frantic, waving her arms in front of her. "Not that it matters, really. I'm alright with just competing for now. It's great practice. Plus, Natsu has already agreed to take me on some missions with him if he makes S-Class."

Lucy nodded, amused at her antics. It had been so long since she had just had a normal conversation with someone. Natsu was fun to talk too, but it often involved food or fighting. Sometimes she just wanted to relax and chat about other stuff. Mira was fun as well when she could catch her, but the older girl was constantly busy with the bar. So, Levy ended up being the perfect person to befriend. She was probably the first close friend that she had ever had.

"Well, I wish you luck anyway," Lucy offered her a small smile. "I'm going to place my bet on you."

Levy's eyes widened and before Lucy could react she had jumped over the table to hug her. "I'm so happy to have met you, Lucy! I wish that you had come here sooner!"

She patted Levy's arm lightly, a small giggle escaping her lips. "I wish I had too."

They remained in that position for another minute, receiving more dirty looks from the occupants of the library. Eventually, Levy sat back in her chair, wiping away the tears that decorated her eyes. "Sorry about that. It's been a while since anyone has said something so nice to me."

"No worries, perhaps we should get back to the guild?"

Levy hummed softly in agreement. She picked up the book from the table, and Lucy realized that she had forgotten all about it. Levy grabbed her wrist, pulling her out of the seat. She stumbled for a few steps before regaining her balance. When she looked back up, Levy was smiling sheepishly at her.

"Sorry about that," Levy whispered. Lucy shook her head as they began to make their way towards the exit. Just as they were about to step through the doors, Levy leaned in close. "When we get back, you still need to tell the master about what's bothering you, alright. Trust me, he will be able to help."

Levy looped her arm through hers as they stepped onto the road. She remembered when she first opened the letter from her father. The worry and fear of what would lay within. There was no way that she could handle her father on her own. To do so, she would need help, and the only one who could currently provide that was the master.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**

 **I changed up a bit of the history for the S-Class trials. Mystogan passed directly after Laxus instead of after Mira. It's nothing major, just fit better with the plans I have.**

 **Follow me on Twitter at PFWriting for updates and more!**

 **Thanks for all the Follows, Favorites, and Reviewers(Awareness Bringer, Crusader Jerome, and Ushindeshi)! I appreciate it!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Lucy stepped into the master's office, taking a moment to examine all the different portraits and objects placed throughout the room. It was rather small—the walls being covered by shelves, and a lone desk with a few chairs around it sitting at the end. As she neared the desk, one of the pictures caught her eye—having been taken outside of the guild hall, it contained a younger looking Makarov with who she could only assume was Laxus.

Following her into the office, the master quickly shuffled over to his desk, plopping into the large seat behind it. He shuffled a few of the papers that lay on top of his desk before placing them off to the side. Lucy stood awkwardly on the opposite side of the desk, before he waved her over and folded his hands together in his lap, only looking on as she promptly took a seat in the chair directly opposite of him.

"Ms. Ashley, I'm glad we finally have a chance to speak," the master spoke. There was an edge to his voice that she had never heard before, making her nerves rise. "What is it that you wished to speak about?"

Lucy hesitated. In her heart, she knew that she should just come out and say it, but that would entail admitting that her entire story had been a lie. The last thing she wanted to do was risk her membership with the guild, or worse, her relationship with the other guild members. If they kicked her out, she didn't even know what she would do, but before she could even muster up a response, the master continued.

"Does this pertain to the truth about your father, perhaps?"

She swallowed, meekly nodding her head. The master said nothing but reached to one end of the desk to pick up a piece of paper. "D-Do you know?"

He shot her a deadpanned look, and she suddenly felt like a child being scolded by a parent. "Please, Ms. Heartfilia. The second your father noticed you were missing he sent word out to all the major cities and guilds. I don't think that there is another blond-haired, brown-eyed, girl running about with the ability to use Celestial Magic."

Lucy glanced at the ground as her cheeks burned from embarrassment. Of course he had known. The man sitting across from her was one of the most powerful men in all of Fiore. There was probably little that he didn't know. "H-How long have you known for?"

"Since I first met you," the master answered, although his tone had now lost the edge. "I don't know why you ran from your father—and you don't need to inform me of such details—but I would at least like to know exactly why you have hidden your identity. I have my own suspicions, but I would like to hear it from the culprit herself."

"I just didn't know how you would all react—" Lucy paused, feeling small under the master's intense gaze. "I didn't want to harm anyone. My father isn't exactly known for his kindness."

The master hummed softly, tapping his leg. "Yes, you are correct…but the purpose of this meeting. Does he know that you are here?"

Lucy nodded and the master was silent again. Neither of them said anything for a moment before the master finally questioned her again. "What do you think he'll do?"

"I…I'm not entirely sure," she replied timidly. "When my mother first went missing, he hired every possible guild and mercenary to look for her. He didn't care about their methods if it meant she was found."

The master nodded, jumping off the chair and hobbling over to her. He placed a hand on her leg, meeting her eyes. "I see. Thank you for informing me, my dear."

He pulled away, walking over to the wall where a few more picture frames were hanging. Pulling an item off the shelf, he walked back over and placed it in her hand. She stared down at it with wide eyes, turning the object around in her hand. It was a communication lacrima. They were extremely rare, and only a handful of people could claim to own one. Her father had one, but she had only seen him use it on a few occasions, let alone actually letting her use it.

"I want you to take that with you." The master pulled out another lacrima from his coat, and she found herself slightly gaping at him. He had two of them? "If anything happens, I want you to let me know immediately. We don't want to take any chances here. I can't risk anything happening to the guild."

Lucy nodded meekly, tucking the lacrima in one of her pockets. That's right, she couldn't let anything happen to the guild. She had dragged them into this mess, and she wouldn't let any of them get hurt because of her. If she needed too, then she would hand herself over to her father in a heartbeat.

"That includes you, Ms. Heartfilia," the master continued, interrupting her thoughts. When she turned back to him, he continued. "You have the Fairy Tail guild mark, do you not? That means you are one of us. We won't let anything happen to you, so don't you worry."

Her eyes watered, and she felt her hands begin to tremble in her lap. She had not wanted to risk harming anyone, but after being on the run for so long, this had been the only place she could think of to go. Fairy Tail had welcomed her with open arms, and she had made such great friends already. She may not have been here for long, but it was already her home.

"Thank you," Lucy muttered, receiving a nod from the old master. He gave her a light pat on the leg before taking a seat at his desk once again.

"Now, I'm sure you have some things that you need to get done. If I remember correctly, Levy said that she would be waiting for you. Don't leave her waiting for too long, or else she may be dragged away by Jet and Droy."

Lucy chuckled softly at the mention of the two boys. She had first encountered them a few days ago, and it had been easy to pick up on their affections for the blue-haired girl.

Pushing herself out of her seat, she offered the master one last teary smile. "Thank you."

* * *

"Natsu, settle down, would you?"

Natsu groaned and slumped down on the wooden bench at the older man's words. He was currently stuck inside of the carriage they had been riding in for the past week and a half. Much to his annoyance, the older man had explained that there was no other way of reaching their guild. Luckily the man had bought him a potion to aid with his motion sickness, otherwise he would have had more to worry about than just being bored.

"How much longer is it going to take? You said that we would be there by now."

Roubal leaned back against the wall of the carriage. He currently sat at the front, pumping his own magic into the carriage to keep them going. The older man let out a sigh, glancing down at the road ahead of them. "I told you that we would be there sometimetoday. I never specified when."

Natsu just huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, _can_ you specify? When will we be there?"

The older man was quiet for a few moments as he continued watching the road in front of them. The carriage continued chugging down the road, swaying and jostling around every time they hit a bump.

"It will be soon," Roubal finally answered. He glanced back at Natsu, "Tell me, what happened on the day you lost your father."

Natsu froze at the man's question, before crossing his arms over his chest. It was never easy talking about Igneel, more so when it was someone he wasn't entirely familiar with. But if he was asking for the dragon slayer in his guild, then it could help him find Igneel. So, if answering persuaded the man to share more about the dragon slayer, he supposed that it couldn't hurt.

"It was years ago," Natsu began. "I just woke up outside of the cave that Igneel and I used to live in. I had thought that he was just going out to get breakfast, but when he didn't return by midday, I began to worry."

Natsu reached up and idly grasped the scarf that was wrapped around his neck. Roubal had taken notice of his action but hadn't commented on it. "I searched for weeks straight, stopping in every house and town that I passed. Eventually, Gramps found me wandering in the forest outside of Magnolia. If it wasn't for him, I probably would have continued searching for Igneel forever. At the time, I didn't exactly realize how dangerous it was to be exploring alone."

Roubal nodded at his words. "It must have been a very trying time for you. Luckily, young Wendy doesn't remember much about that time. From what she tells me, she only has memories of an old companion she used to travel with."

The older man looked out at the road again for a few moments before humming softly. "Looks like we are almost there."

Natsu hurriedly pushed himself out of his seat, leaning out of the carriage to get a better look. For the first time, Natsu was able to spot a few signs of life. The path they were traveling on began to look worn down, and the plant-life seemed to be slightly displaced. In the distance, he could make out what looked to be the tops of a few tents sticking up through the trees. Tilting his head, he swore that he even heard a few different voices chatting away.

"I can hear a few of your guild members," Natsu spoke, earning a look of surprise from the older man. In the distance, Natsu could see a low wooden barricade marking the edge of their camp. "Although it doesn't look like you guys have much in the way of defenses."

Roubal grunted, turning the carriage off the main path and towards an opening in the palisade. "Unlike your guild, Cait Shelter doesn't stay in one spot for very long. In fact, the two months we've been here has been the longest we've stayed in one spot for years."

It seemed that someone had finally noticed them from within the camp, as a few people began shouting and hollering in the direction of their guild master. They were all dressed in similar attire to Roubal, with some even wearing a similar headdress.

"If you move so often, how is Wendy supposed to find you when she returns?"

Roubal fell silent, still looking out at the road ahead of them. Natsu didn't know what to think at the older man's lack of reply, but he eventually just shrugged it off. He would handle that problem later.

The cart eventually made their way into the palisade, and many of the Cait Shelter guild members ran over to greet them. Roubal was showered with warm welcomes and praises, while Natsu was only given a few terse nods or handshakes. It didn't surprise him too much. From the looks of it, they didn't look like the type of group to be super welcoming to outsiders.

Stepping out of the carriage and breathing in the forest air, Natsu sighed in relief. After being cooped up in the same place for so long, he had been itching to get out and move around. And now that he was here, he was rearing to go. Just as he had taken a step away from the carriage, Roubal's voice halted his movement.

"I know you are wanting to move about and explore, Natsu, but at least get settled in first. Plus, I want to introduce you to Wendy."

Natsu smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Right. Sorry."

The small guild was made up of a bunch of tents that were placed sporadically throughout the clearing. There were a couple of campfires placed in between, and even some clothes and blankets hanging out to dry. A couple of guards wearing armor roamed about, chatting with some of the other members and scouting the forest outside the wall.

On the outside, it didn't remind him of the guild hall back home at all, but he could make out the Cait Shelter guild marks on ever since person there. With the way they all conversed, and laughed, and moved about, he could see that they were just as much a family as the rest of Fairy Tail was. It had been so long since he had seen another friendly guild…

"Natsu, my boy, let's go."

Roubal's voice called out to him, and he shook his head before quickly moving over to the man. He was led to the biggest tent in the camp, which had two guards standing outside of the front door, or…flap.

"Good morning, Roubal. Glad to see you back," the first guard called out as they approached.

Roubal grunted, coming to a stop in front of them. "Is Wendy in there?"

The second guard answered this time. "Yes. She has been waiting for a few hours. Charla is with her too, and from the chiding I've been hearing from her, it seems that Wendy's a bit nervous about the meeting."

Roubal chuckled, and Natsu gave him a surprised look. For the entire journey, he hadn't heard a single bit of laughter from the old man. "I would suppose so. She's been awaiting this day for a long time."

With a nod of his head, and a wave of his hand, Roubal pushed aside the flap of the tent and stepped inside. Glancing back at Natsu, he motioned for him to follow. "Let's go."

There was a fluttering in his stomach, and Natsu swallowed. For the first time, he realized that he was a bit nervous to meet his fellow dragon slayer. He had heard of others, like Black Steel, but had never met any personally. He would obviously have to challenge her to a fight to see how strong she was, but that wasn't at the top of his priorities. Most importantly, would she be able to help him find Igneel?

"Natsu!" Roubal called, making him jump. "Let's go!"

Natsu jumped before rubbing the back of his head as he muttered an apology. Stepping up beside the master, he took a breath before finally entering the tent, not knowing what to expect.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Admittedly, this chapter took a bit longer than expected. For some reason, I found it hard to get it flowing, and I tried my best during the editing, so hopefully things look good.**

 **To answer Lord Jaric's question: Members of the guild are still allowed of out town, but only at select times and at the discretion of the master. Only S-Class have the ability to leave as they wish, and A ranked mages get a bit more leeway. S-Class mages also often take lower ranked mages out often. Sorry if I didn't make that clear, I'll be sure to clear that up in the future.**

 **Thanks for the favorites, follows, and reviews(Awareness Bringer, Lord Jaric, SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta, FireShifter, CrusaderJerome). I appreciate the feedback, and you can be sure I take it all into consideration!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Out of everything Natsu had been expecting, the small, blue-haired girl certainly hadn't been in the realm of possibility for him. Yet, here he stood in front of the young dragon slayer herself.

"Natsu," Roubal had said, motioning toward the girl. "I would like to introduce you to Wendy Marvell. She's been with Cait Shelter for a few years now, but more importantly, she is a dragon slayer, just as you are."

The old guild master left soon after, choosing to give them some privacy while they introduced themselves. Natsu couldn't help but curse the man for doing so. It had been incredibly awkward ever since he had departed from the tent, as it seemed the girl was far too shy to start or maintain any sort of conversation herself. Although, he was fairly interested to know how she came upon her cat. Perhaps she had found an egg just as he had.

"So…" Natsu eventually spoke, rubbing the back of his head. Wendy jumped in surprise, startled by his sudden words. "You're a dragon slayer?"

"Uhm…Yes," the girl muttered, staring shyly at the floor. "A sky dragon slayer."

Silence fell over the pair once more, but it was quickly interrupted by an impatient sigh from the white cat. "Seriously, Wendy. You need to have more confidence in yourself, else you'll never be able to accomplish anything by yourself."

Wendy muttered a quiet apology, which only prompted another exasperated look from the cat. When the feline turned to Natsu, he suddenly felt small under her intense gaze. She was clearly the opposite of Happy.

"So, you're the dragon slayer the master had been talking about." There was an edge to her tone, one that sounded like she didn't approve of him very much. "I've heard some poor rumors about you. I hope you don't prove to be a negative influence on Wendy."

Natsu chuckled nervously, but when the cat's serious gaze never faltered, he halted. "Uh, sure. By the way, what's your name?"

"Charla."

The finality in her tone made Natsu turn back to Wendy. It was clear that she was going to be a lot more interesting to talk to—if he could get her to speak, that is. He idly wondered if Happy would be able to befriend this other cat. Part of him said that he wouldn't, but Happy had proven to be a master of being oblivious before, so Charla's standoffish nature probably wouldn't bother him too much.

"So…Wendy, you were raised by a dragon, right?"

"Ah, yes!" Wendy said, clasping her hands together in front of her. A small smile quickly adorned her face. "My mother was the sky dragon, Grandeeney."

"That's awesome!" Natsu exclaimed, leaning forward eagerly. He was always interested to learn more about dragons. "My father was Igneel, the king of the fire dragons! Do you know where your dragon is? Maybe she could lead me to Igneel!"

Wendy's smile quickly fell, and her gaze returned to the ground. "I-I'm sorry. My mother went missing as well. I was actually kind of hoping you would be able to help me find Grandeeney."

Natsu deflated a bit but kept the smile on his face. It was a letdown, sure, but she couldn't be blamed for not knowing where her mother is. It was their dragon's faults for leaving them abandoned.

He looked between the young girl and cat for a moment. Part of him couldn't believe that she had been abandoned so young. If he had been ten when Igneel had gone missing, then she must have been near five.

"That's alright," Natsu reassured. He clasped Wendy's shoulder, beginning to drag her towards the exit of the tent. "Enough sitting around, let's go find the old man and find something to do!"

Wendy stuttered out a few incoherent words but let herself be pulled away by the energetic teen. He could see Charla shaking her head disappointingly, but still flew beside them as they stepped out of the tent. Once the bright sun was shining down at them, he glanced at the dragon slayer.

"Where did you find Charla, Wendy? My partner Happy is a cat just like her. He can even fly too!"

"I found her egg a while ago." Wendy replied meekly. "It was resting in a forest near one of the locations we set up camp. The master let me keep her, but I've had to raise her by myself."

"That's awesome!" Natsu exclaimed again. He finally found the form of Roubal on the opposite side of camp, talking to a few of the guild members. "It was the same for me and Happy. I had actually thought that he was a dragon egg at first."

Wendy let out a slight giggle. "What made you think that there would be a dragon egg in the forest?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. Dragons had been the only creatures I had really interacted with at that point, and I was so obsessed with finding Igneel that I think I just thought that he would be a dragon."

Wendy turned to Charla. "Imagine that, Charla. I wonder how things would've changed if you had been a dragon."

The dragon slayers laughed as the cat's face turned into one of mock horror. Their chatter attracted the attention of the guild master, and he turned to the pair with a grimace, although it seemed to soften at the sight of Wendy. The guild members around him glanced quickly at Wendy, before turning back and muttering quietly between themselves.

Roubal faced his companions for a moment before turning back with a weary sigh. Wendy took a slight step forward and looked at her master with concern. "Is everything alright, master?"

"Yes, Wendy. Everything is fine for the moment." The guild master hesitated for a moment. "It just has to do with the arrival of Natsu, here."

The few members stiffened at Natsu's name, although they settled down at a sharp glance from Roubal. It had been clear that there had been a reason for Roubal bringing him here, other than just to meet Wendy, but he hadn't been able to decipher whether it would be good or bad. And from the looks of it, he wasn't too sure he was going to like the news.

"I suppose I should just get right to it, then," Roubal continued. Wendy perked up beside him, and even Charla seemed interested at what the guild master had to say. "I didn't just call Natsu here to meet you, Wendy, but also so that he could take you with him back to the Fairy Tail guild."

"Take me with him," Wendy muttered, tilting her head to the side. "Why?"

"There are a few secrets that this guild has been keeping, Wendy. Secrets that have been kept since long before the guild's founding, or your arrival here. Recently, these secrets seem to be finally catching up with us, and I don't want you to be in the way of danger. Fairy Tail will be able to protect you, as the rest of us here will not be able to from here on out."

Wendy fell quiet, looking downtrodden. "But…I like being here with the guild, and…I want to help! If there's anything that I can do, just tell me and I will try my best!"

"I understand that, and I appreciate the sentiment." Roubal reached over a rested a hand on her shoulder. Natsu could see the tears welling up in Wendy's eyes. Even Charla looked shocked, as she floated down and landed beside Wendy. "But unfortunately, there is nothing that you would be able to help us with currently. This is something that the rest of us must attempt to rectify ourselves, if we ever wish to finally move on ."

Wendy seemed to stutter over a response for a moment before giving up and turning towards the ground. "I just…Don't want to leave."

"I know, Wendy. Do not fret. You will always be welcome to visit us if the opportunity arrives. This will always be a place where you can call home." Roubal gave her a forlorn smile as he removed his hand. "Now, why don't you get your things packed for the trip."

She looked like she wanted to say more, but eventually nodded, nonetheless. Waving to Charla, she began to make her way over to the tent. Unsure of what to do for a moment, Natsu eventually moved to follow but was halted by Roubal grabbing onto his wrist. "Wait just a minute, Natsu."

He watched Wendy enter the tent before turning back to Roubal. The guild master suddenly seemed much older than he had been this morning, as if he had a weight on his shoulders. As his gaze roamed over the stern Cait Shelter members, he spoke up. "Are you sure that sending her with me is the best choice?"

Roubal ran a hand down his face. "I'm not sure. It's just the best solution that we currently have."

There was silence between them as they waited for Wendy to return. The rest of the guild around them soon began packing up their supplies and tents. Roubal chimed in here and there to give a few of the members orders, but besides that was satisfied just overseeing the rest of the guild. It was clear that they wouldn't be around for much longer.

Eventually he turned back to Natsu, who had taken to watching some birds flying above the forest. "One last thing, Natsu. There may come a time where we enlist the aid of some of the Alliance guilds. If that time ever comes, I ask you to please refrain from allowing Wendy to return."

* * *

The journey back to Fairy Tail took much longer now that they had to walk, but Natsu much preferred to cover the distance on foot than to suffer through his motion sickness in the carriage once more.

Wendy had been quiet for most of the trip, and he had found it rather difficult to keep a conversation going at times. She typically chose to speak up only when it involved dinner or finding a place to rest for the night. Yet, despite the lack of conversation at times, he found that he much preferred her silence over the constant nagging from her partner.

The feline seemed to have an opinion on almost everything they did. Where they slept. What they ate. How fast they were moving. No matter what, there was always a comment.

So, when they finally returned to the guild, Natsu was glad to finally have some peace and quiet without the cat…Or so he thought. They arrived at late at night, when there were only a few people left in the guild. One was Mira, who paused in her cleaning of a glass to cheerfully acknowledge them.

"Welcome back, Natsu! Who is this that you brought with you?"

He pushed the small girl forward, eliciting a yelp of surprise from her. "This is Wendy! She's a dragon slayer like me!"

"Oh…How wonderful!" Mira offered Wendy a bright smile, who looked down with a blush. "It's nice to meet you Wendy! Everyone has gone home for the night, but I know that they will be happy to meet you as well."

The creak of a door drew their attention, and they all looked over to see Lucy peeking out one of the side rooms. Natsu waved, and she stepped out of the room with a sleeping Happy in her arms, who she gently shook awake. He blinked his eyes wearily for a few moments before jumping up when he noticed Natsu.

"Natsu!" Happy yelled, jumping out of Lucy's arms and flying over to him. "I've missed you!"

Natsu laughed as Happy collided into his chest. "I've missed you too, buddy!"

While he pet Happy on the head, he found Wendy looking over at him curiously. To his surprise, even Charla seemed to have garnered a bit of an interest.

"This is Happy!" he said, pushing the cat out towards them. "He's just like Charla and he is my best friend!"

"Aye!" Happy cheered, although his eyes were locked on Charla. He quickly jumped out of Natsu's arms and began to make his way over to the cat. His partner pulled a fish out of his backpack—how long that had been in there, Natsu had no idea—and he watched as Happy offered it to Charla, who just turned away with a huff. Happy seemed downtrodden for a moment before shrugging and eating the fish himself.

Chuckling softly at his partners antics, Natsu finally turned to Lucy, who had made her way over to his side. "Nice to see you again, Lucy. It's been a while."

She hummed in agreement, so he continued. "Did anything interesting happen while I was gone? I hope that I didn't miss out on any good fights!"

Before she could reply, they were all interrupted by a voice yelling from the top of the stairs. "Who's making all that noise?! Keep it down! It's too late for your craziness!"

Natsu motioned for Wendy to relax when she tensed and locked his fingers together behind his head. "Nice to see you too, gramps. I was just about to let you know that we've made it back safe."

Makarov's head popped up at the top of the stairs, glancing over all the people in the lobby before quickly hopping down the stairs. "Ah, Natsu. I didn't realize that it was you."

Natsu turned to Wendy, pointing at the guild master. "This the master of Fairy Tail, Master Makarov. But I just call him gramps."

The short man came to a stop in front of them, inspecting Natsu for a moment before switching his gaze to the two newcomers. He offered Wendy a toothy smile before turning to Charla. "How interesting…I've never seen another creature like Happy out there. Yet, there seemed to be another within Cait Shelter the entire time! It's almost as if these cats are attracted to you dragon slayers."

The master shrugged to himself, before turning back to Wendy. "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Marvell. Roubal has told me all about you."

She seemed to deflate at the mention of her former guild master, which Makarov quickly picked up on. "Come with me, my dear. I fear that there is much to discuss, and such little time."

Wendy glanced up at Natsu, who offered a reassuring nod. Hesitating for a moment longer, Wendy quickly picked up Charla and shuffled after the guild master. He spoke to her the entire way up to the second floor, but it was too quiet for Natsu to hear, so he turned back to the others.

"So…What else—"

His words were suddenly cut off, as a giant iron rod came crashing through the ceiling.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry for the delay on this one, I just couldn't seem to get it right, but I think I'm satisfied with this result!**

 **Thanks for all the feedback! I appreciate it!**

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	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Natsu grumbled as he sat down at the bar in the empty basement the following morning. He had been pissed off ever since the attack, and nothing that Gramps could say would change that fact.

The attack on the guild happened all too quickly. One second, the first iron rod pierced through the roof the guild hall, and many more were quick to follow. By the time he or any of the others in the guild with him at the time had been able to gather their bearings, there had been no sign of the attacker. But while there was little in the ways of definitive proof, plenty of them could take a guess as to who had done it.

Natsu glanced over to one corner of the room, where Elfman was helping Mira move some of the surviving boxes of food. The guild hall had been left in near shambles, and so they were currently cooped up in the basement of one of the town inns. There wasn't much besides a few tables, chairs, and the empty bar. A few pairs of guild members roamed about the room, either talking quietly or minding their own business. None approached him, which he was grateful for, as he wasn't sure he would be able to prevent himself from blowing up at them.

Gramps had been gone for nearly the entire day, busy with trying to fix the damage that had been done. Many of the other high-ranking mages had been out on missions at the time, including Erza and Gray. Both had been called back to the town, but it would still take them time to return.

Natsu's thoughts were interrupted when the basement door opened again, allowing him to make out Lucy and Wendy standing at the top of the stairs. He hadn't seen her since the attack this morning, as Mira had taken the pair to spend the night at her house. Happy was following close behind them, silent but taking a glance at Charla every so often.

While they made their way over, Lucy offered a few greetings to some of the other guild members gathered at the tables. Wendy seemed a bit out of place as she attempted to offer her own shy greetings. Out of all the things that could've happened on her first day at the guild, this had to be one of the worst.

He did his best to offer the young girl a smile as she and Charla finally came to a stop by his side, but he was sure that it came out more like a grimace than anything else. "Hey Wendy...Charla."

The shorter dragon slayer jumped slightly at her name, but quickly regained her composure and turned with a small smile. She attempted to speak but was interrupted by Happy flying over.

"Natsu!" he cried, flinging himself into the dragon slayer's arms. While Happy squirmed around to get comfortable, Natsu pet the cat lightly on the head. "Why did you leave me earlier?"

"Sorry about that, little buddy. I just had some things that I needed to do."

Those _things_ had involved going out and burning down a few sections of the nearby forest to let out some of his anger. He had to admit, it hadn't worked very well.

Happy squirmed a bit more in his arms, clearly not liking his answer too much, but he didn't say anything else. Now that Happy was settled in his arms, Wendy finally had her chance to speak. "H-Hello, Natsu..."

The girl shuffled her feet a bit, earning herself an exasperated glance from Charla. "Out with it, Wendy. There is no need to be so shy. You've known each other for weeks now."

Momentarily glancing at Charla, Wendy took a breath before returning her gaze to him. For the first time, Natsu noticed how red her eyes were—as if she had been crying. "I was just wondering about what is happening. I…I tried asking Lucy and Mira, but they wouldn't say much. A-And I haven't seen the master since last night, either."

Natsu monetarily looked away as Lucy finally arrived. There was a faraway look in her gaze, and when his eyes met hers, she soon turned away. He tried to catch her gaze again, but she refused to look up from the ground.

"I'm not entirely sure either, Wendy." Holding back the truth a little bit couldn't hurt, right? He didn't want to unnecessarily worry her, especially since he had just taken her from her home. "The guild was attacked, but Gramps hasn't told us who did it. Nobody was hurt, either. Seems like they just destroyed the guild hall."

Wendy nodded her head and turned away with a sniffle. Natsu placed a hand on her shoulder and looked once more to Lucy. The blond had returned to watching him but turned away again when she met his eyes. She was hiding something, and he would figure out what.

"Hey, Happy. Why don't you go with Wendy and find something to eat? I'm sure Mira could find you a fish or two." Happy perked up at the mention of fish, and scrambled out of his arms, already heading over to the barmaid. Wendy didn't make any move to follow, and almost looked like she would protest before Natsu cut her off. "It must have been a while since you've eaten. Even if you aren't hungry, I'm sure Mira could use some more help, and besides…" Natsu leaned in, whispering. "I need to talk with Lucy for a bit."

Wendy hesitated for a second, looking between him and Lucy before mutely nodding and moving away. She bent over and picked up Charla as she did so, but the cat only watched him with a suspicious gaze. He had no doubt that he would be getting an earful from her later.

"I'm not really in the mood to talk, Natsu."

Natsu shrugged, leaning back against the bar. "You're trying to hide something from me. I just want to know what."

Lucy fiddled with the hem of her skirt. He didn't push her, instead just choosing to look over the guild members. He hadn't noticed the mage's arrival, but it seemed that Gray had finally made it back to the guild. The ice mage was currently chatting with Cana, who was probably drinking her fifth beer of the morning. It seemed that Gray picked up on his staring though, as Gray quickly sent a glare in his direction. He was tempted to go over and punch—

"It's my fault."

Lucy's words were so quiet that Natsu almost missed them, but when he turned back to the celestial mage, she was staring down at the ground with glistening eyes. "What?"

"This is all my fault."

Natsu shook his head. "No, it's Phantom—"

Lucy cut him off, whipping her head towards him while she whispered fiercely. "No! If I hadn't run away from home, they wouldn't be here. My father wouldn't have done this. He told me that this would happen…and I didn't listen."

"You're wrong." He stepped away from the bar, gripping her shoulders tightly. "If you think that any of us would blame you for this, then you have truly learned nothing in the time that you have been here.

"We are Fairy Tail. We protect each other no matter what. You could ask anyone, and no one would blame what happened on you."

Her eyes fell, and her lips began to tremble. "But—"

"I don't want to hear it." Natsu let her go, and leaned against the bar once more, although he kept his eyes on her. "It doesn't matter what, we will all figure this out together."

Lucy didn't meet his eyes, but kept her fists clenched by her sides. Natsu didn't understand the full extent of what she knew, but none of it mattered. He would protect her all the same. "Besides, perhaps you'll finally be able to show me more of your spirits."

Her lips turned up into a shaky smile, but their attention was soon drawn away by a shout near the entrance. The basement door was flung open, and the master came storming down the stairs. Natsu was surprised to see Erza behind him, but from the look on her face, something wasn't right.

"Call my grandson. Tell him that he needs to return now," Makarov told a guild member as he stormed towards the bar. The guild member looked startled, but quickly ran off to do as the master commanded. Makarov quickly turned to the other members currently present. "Does anyone know where Gildarts or Mystogan are?"

He was met with silence, prompting him to mutter out a curse under his breath. "All of you, listen here. As of now, everyone is forbidden from leaving the town. No one has permission to go beyond Magnolia's walls. Do you all understand?"

His order was met with cries of affirmation. It seemed that many of them were still confused as to what prompted the order but didn't dare to approach the enraged guild master. Natsu didn't waste any time, however, and quickly approached Erza and the guild master. "Gramps, what happened?"

Cana and Gray moved to stand by his side, and this was one of the rare moments where he didn't protest the ice mage's arrival. Lucy soon followed, followed by Mira and even little Wendy. They all watched the master, waiting for him to answer.

Makarov motioned for Erza to move closer. "Phantom Lord did more than just attack our guild hall…" His words faded away, but there was an underlying anger in them, of the which Natsu had never heard from the master before. Erza placed a piece of paper on the bar, but none moved to grab it. "They took Levy, Jet, and Droy."

A few of them gasped as the earlier anger resurged within Natsu. "We need to go save them!"

Makarov shot him a withering look, and Natsu shrunk under his gaze. "Do you think me stupid, Natsu? Of course, we do! But we can't just charge in headfirst, else we risk endangering them even further."

Natsu didn't like being told to sit around, but nodded at the master's words, nonetheless. But part of him was still urging him to run outside and head towards Phantom Lord straight away.

The master picked up the paper Erza had placed down, giving it a brief glance over before turning back. "On top of the ban on leaving the city, everyone will be paired with at least one other person at all times. I don't want anyone walking through the streets alone. And I want everyone to begin preparing themselves."

After a moment of silence, it was Lucy who finally spoke up, although it was no louder than a whisper. "For what?"

Makarov turned towards her, and his face softened ever so slightly. Yet, it did nothing to hide the rage in his tone. "For war."

* * *

"Hey, Black Steel!"

Gajeel ignored the annoying voice calling out to him, choosing instead to take a large swig out of the mug in his hand. It seemed that the pest didn't get the hint, as he blunderingly strolled over to the table he was sitting at in the corner of the hall. "Hey! Gajeel! I'm talkin' to you!"

He tried to continue ignoring the man, but after a few moments of just being stared at, Gajeel slammed the mug down on the table, startling the guild member. "What do you want?"

The guy suddenly seemed much less sure of himself, but slowly got out what he wanted to say. "Did you hear the rumors?"

Gajeel grumbled. He had no care for rumors. There were more important things that he could be thinking about. But if he didn't entertain this annoyance, he would probably stick around for even longer. "What rumors?"

"It looks like Fairy Tail has a second dragon slayer now. I suppose that means there are three of you."

Now that got Gajeel's attention. "Another dragon slayer?"

"Oh yeah," the guy said. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I've only heard a couple rumors. Some say that the new one is huge…like twice your size! I've also heard that they fought off more than ten of the Fairy Tail members, which is why they let them join."

Gajeel hummed, leaning back in his chair. _Now_ this was getting interesting. He had already been greedily anticipating his encounter with the famous Salamander, but now there was a second that he could beat down. This attack on Fairy Tail was sounding better by the minute. "What do they look like?"

The man shrugged. "Not sure. Only thing I've heard in that regard is that they have blue hair."

The mention of blue hair made him pause for a moment, as his thoughts turned back to the mages he had captured earlier in the morning. He had just wanted to rough them up a bit and leave 'em back in Magnolia as a sign to Fairy Tail, but Jose has demanded otherwise. A small part of him felt a bit of guilt at the thought of what the Phantom Lord master might be doing to them, but that feeling was beat down by the desire to fight. He had sat around in this guild long enough without any action.

"Leave me," Gajeel muttered as he turned back to his drink. The guild member scampered away from him, seemingly all too pleased that he had been able to evoke a conversation from him. But that didn't matter. Nothing in this guild mattered. They were only a means to an end.

An end that would result in the destruction of Fairy Tail.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Sorry for the delay. Things have been a bit crazy lately.**

 **Things are starting to come together, and more will be revealed in future chapters, so stay tuned!**

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	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Despite the constant reassurances from the guild, Lucy still knew that everything that had happened was her fault.

From the moment she read the letter from her father, until now, as the guild marches towards Phantom Lord, the thought had never left her mind. Natsu had remained by her side for most of the journey thus far, doing his best to cheer her up. It was a nice thought, but none of his typical antics would be able to fix any of this.

Because of her, Levy had been taken, and anything could be happening to her. Lucy knew that she had to fix this, and there would only be one way to do so.

She waited until the guild had settled down for the evening, before silently making her way out of the camp. She knew that they had been travelling on the road directly towards Phantom Lord, so if she kept going, she would eventually reach Oak Town. But that wasn't the destination she had in mind. She needed to go passed the town and return to the place she had run away from just a few months ago.

The Heartfilia Estate.

There was no telling what her father would do once she returned, but if he agreed to let Levy and her friends go, then she would do whatever he asked of her. More than that, it would also prevent a war from breaking out between the two most powerful guilds. She couldn't allow anyone else to sacrifice themselves for her any longer.

It was nearly dawn by the time she reached the outskirts of Oak Town. She had no plans of entering, but even from a distance, she could hear the bustling activity from the large town. Large stone walls surrounded the entirety of the town, and guards were rushing back and forth amongst the battlements. Even outside there had to be at least a hundred guards that she could see, all standing watch at different points of the wall.

When Fairy Tail had left Magnolia, they had brought along with them most of the guild members, along with some of the city guard. From the looks of it, however, it didn't look like they had brought nearly enough to match the numbers that were on display here. Although, only a few hours before she had left, she had heard a rumor that the master's grandson, Laxus, was on his way. From how powerful it seemed that he was, perhaps he would be enough to even the playing field.

Lucy shook her head, turning away from the town and continuing down the dirt path. She stuck just to the side of the path, so that she was hidden in the surrounding trees, but was still able to follow it. Her feet ached, and she longed for a chance to rest, but she refused to stop. She needed to make it to her father before the rest of her guild made it to Oak Town. If she didn't, then all this would be pointless anyway.

As a branch cracked beneath her boot, she raised her right hand to look at her guild mark. She had only been a part of the guild for a few months, yet it felt like she had already been there for much longer. They had taken her in with open arms and treated her as if she had known them for her entire life. All the friends she had made: Natsu, Happy, Mira, Levy… She couldn't let anything happen to them.

She clenched her fist, grabbing her key ring with her other hand. Her mother had left the spirits to her before she disappeared, and Lucy knew that it now fell on her shoulders to do the right thing. The only thing she wondered, is if she would be strong enough to finish the task.

* * *

The Heartfilia Estate hadn't changed much since she'd last been here.

A small wall surrounded the gigantic mansion, with towers planted strategically around the entire estate. The mansion itself had at least seven stories and contained so many rooms that Lucy wasn't sure that she had even been inside of every single one. But to her father, each served a different, important purpose.

A few of the higher floors contained the living areas, which was where she and her mother had spent most of their time. It was off limits to most of the other staff, and so she had often found herself hidden away, all alone, after her mother had disappeared. There were the few staff that were allowed in there, but they never really stuck around outside of bringing her food or cleaning up.

The rest of the floors, however, each served a different purpose, and Lucy wasn't sure she would be able to name them all. Some were used to house the guards that watched over the estate. Some were used as offices for those who worked underneath her father. And others were used for storage. Lucy was sure that she could possibly take a few guesses as to what the rest were for, but there was no way to be certain.

Stepping out of the tree-line, Lucy slowly approached the front gates. The many guards that were posted outside were quickly drawn to her presence, and by their widened eyes, it was clear that they recognized her. One of them ran back inside of the wall, no doubt going to alert her father. Each of them had swords strapped to their waist, hanging just below their leather armor.

"Miss Heartfilia!" the closest said, his voice deep. Lucy could see the tips of his brown beard under the rim of his spiked helmet. "You've returned!"

Already, two of the guards were moving towards her, chains rattling in their hands. She held her hands up against her chest, taking a wary step back. "I won't allow you to put those chains on me. I came here to see my father, and I shall do just that."

The guards shared a glance, and a few of them even muttered quietly to each other. When one of them took another step closer, Lucy held up Virgo's key. "I will only warn you once."

They shared another wary glance, before one with golden stripes on his shoulders waved the rest of them down. The guards lowered the chains and stepped aside, while the man with stripes held out a hand. While she may not have memorized all the guard's names, she had memorized plenty of their faces over the years. He was one that she had never seen before, with stark-white hair, and tanned skin with blue markings flowing down his face. He looked like no one she had ever seen before.

"If you would come with me, Lucy, I shall take you to see your father."

Something about the way he said her name sent shivers down her spine. Her grip on Virgo's key tightened as she took another step back. "Who are you?"

He grinned. "My name is of no matter. I was hired by your father to help with his current…situation. My allies will ensure that his plans are successfully carried out."

Before Lucy could reply, the gate opened once again, and her father strode out of the gate. Her father soon towered over her, and the rest of the guards bowed to him as he came to a stop in front of her. The man with golden stripes did nothing, however, but his smirk did fall from his face.

Jude Heartfilia grabbed her wrist harshly, knocking the key from her hand. She was just barely able to pick it back up before she was being pulled into the estate. Her father's face was burning with anger, and even as he said nothing, she could already tell what was going through his head. No one disrespected him and got away with it.

"F-Fath—"

"Silence." Lucy's mouth clamped shut at his command. As they approached the mansion, they passed by the large statue in the front yard, and Lucy remembered the time they had first unveiled it. It had been a month or two after her mother had gone missing, the last time her father had treated her like a daughter. It was a giant statue of her mother—one that her father said would immortalize her forever. According to him, it was the only thing worthy of the former Lady Heartfilia.

He pulled her through the front doors, and before she knew it, they were storming up the stairs and into her old living space. When they finally reached her old room, her father practically threw her inside before stepping in and slamming the door behind him.

Lucy was momentarily caught off guard at the state of the room she had left all those months ago. It was practically untouched, with her clothes strewn about the room, and all her belongings out of place. She had been in such a rush to leave that night. It had been her first chance to escape, and at the time, she didn't know if she would ever have another opportunity, so she ran. It hadn't allowed her to spare a moment to clean her room—not that it mattered.

"You ran away."

She turned back to her father, lips curving in a frown. "Of course, I ran. Why should I have kept living here with you?"

"Why?" Her father took a step closer, his stern gaze firmly on her own. "Because you are my daughter. One day you shall inherit all of this land, and it's time that you start acting like such."

"Maybe I don't want any of this," she replied, crossing her arms across her chest. "Ever since mother disappeared, you've changed. You never paid me any attention, and when you did, it was only to make sure that I looked proper for our guests. And there's no point in even beginning to discuss the kinds of guests you've been dealing with."

"Those guests," her father growled, pointing a finger at her. "Protect this family. They protect this estate. Without them, we wouldn't be able to have what we do."

"I would rather have nothing than suffer under them for the rest of my life. You know who they are. You know what they've done, and you still pay them to continue doing whatever they want."

Her father sighed angrily, brushing her comment aside with a wave of his hand. "It doesn't matter what you think anymore."

Before she could react, he swooped in and swiped her key ring from off her waist. She lunged forward in a desperate attempt to get it back, but it was futile, as he had already stuck the keys into one of his suit pockets. When she pounded against his chest, he just shoved her aside, reopening the door to her room.

"From this point forward, you are to stay locked in this room. There will be guards posted outside all day and night, so don't even think about trying to run again."

He stepped through the door, but just before he could shut it fully, she shoved her foot through the crack in the door. She winced as she felt it slam into her foot, but stared defiantly at her father, nonetheless. "Will you stop the attack on Fairy Tail?"

Her father paused, and for a moment, she thought that she saw a flicker of confusion flash across his face. But before she knew it, his face hardened once again. "Now why would I do that?"

She grasped the edge of the door. This was her chance. She had to convince him now, or else this entire journey would have been for nothing. Her friends would be in danger, and her guild would be under the threat of being destroyed. Her gaze shifted down to the pink guild symbol on her hand momentarily. "I will stay willingly and do whatever you want. Just please, take back the order and tell Phantom Lord to let their captives go."

Jude was silent for a few moments. He turned away, and for a moment, Lucy thought that she might have gotten through to him.

"Guards." He waved his hand, and a few more sword-wielding guards hustled over to her door. "Watch her. Do not let her leave this room without my permission."

He turned back to her one last time, pushing her back into her room as he continued closing the door.

"As punishment for your little _escapade_ , you're going to sit and watch as I wipe that puny guild of yours off the face of Earth Land," he said, and the door finally slammed shut.

* * *

 **Thanks for your patience, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

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	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Oak Town loomed in the distance, the Phantom Lord guild hall standing tall above the city. It reminded Natsu of a castle, with four tall towers in each corner and walls connecting them. None of that mattered, however. Fairy Tail would break through anything to get their guild members back.

When he had awoken to find Lucy gone, Natsu had initially panicked. It had been like a chain reaction, setting the rest of the guild members off, and they quickly began scouring the nearby area for any clues as to where she may have gone. It hadn't lasted for long, and Makarov soon called off the search to focused on the last bits of their journey.

After they finally arrived, coming to a stop a short distance away from the Oak Town walls, they quickly got to work. Barricades were constructed around the circumference of their camp, and mages and guardsmen alike all pitched their own tents. The master helped where he could, using his enlarged limbs to make the process easier, but after hours of work, Natsu was only getting more restless knowing that Lucy was in danger.

"Gramps," Natsu said, storming towards the guild master. Happy flew right above his head, only to land in his hair when Natsu came to a stop. "We have to keep searching for Lucy! She could've been taken!"

Makarov was silent, contemplating while he stared at Oak Town. They were finally close to the town, and even without his enhanced hearing, Natsu would have been able to hear all the commotion from within. Hundreds of guards stood atop the large stone walls, a sharp contrast to the smaller wooden ones that surrounded Magnolia. There had been rumors of Phantom Lord fortifying Oak Town, but he hadn't expected anything like this. And from the look on the master's face, it was clear that he was thinking the same.

Eventually, Makarov spoke, although there was tension in his voice. "Think for a second, Natsu. Were any of the search parties able to find any signs of a fight, or even a kidnapping?"

"No."

"She wasn't taken." Makarov's statement hung in the air for a moment, before he continued. "She ran off. Whether it was to Phantom Lord, or perhaps her father, I do not know."

Natsu was silent for a moment. "Ran off? But why? She knew that we didn't blame her. None of this was her fault."

"Words don't always work as we intend, Natsu." Makarov turned to him, a sudden weariness overtaking his features. The master rubbed tiredly at his eyes. "I fear that this is a feeling she has held within her for a while. Long before she had even learned about her father's plans, and perhaps even coming to the guild. We can't fault her for her decision, but only help her finally resolve this issue."

A crash sounded behind them, and Natsu turned to see Elfman slamming the trunk of a tree on the ground. They were constructing some ladders in case they wouldn't be able to take down the walls. Gray was tying some trunks together with Cana, and even little Wendy helped with holding them in place.

"I never intended for this," Makarov said. When Natsu looked back, the master had turned back to Oak Town, and he wasn't able to see the older man's face any longer. "I fear that this is only the beginning, Natsu. We shall have a larger role to play, and our choices may decide the fate of the world itself."

Makarov sighed, and Natsu felt the urge to reassure him, but said nothing. He didn't think that there was anything he could say to alleviate the master's worries. It was hard enough for himself to realize that his friends had been taken. It must've been even worse for the master, watching his guild members disappear, and then having to lead the rest into battle. Natsu clenched his fist, turning towards the city himself. No matter what, he would be right there fighting alongside Fairy Tail.

A bell tolled, and all of Fairy Tail turned to look towards the town. The large wooden gates swung open with a groan, and a group of people slowly marched out of the gate. Two held up flags containing the Phantom Lord guild symbol, the fabric fluttering in the wind. At the head, there was a tall, skinny man with a long hat, and dark purple cloak. If Natsu had to take a guess, that was their guild master, Jose Porla.

Behind the Phantom Lord master, a group of mages followed. A lone female, with curled blue hair and a long coat. A large man with a blind fold across his face, and another with a mix of white and black hair. No doubt three members of the famed Element Four, although Natsu wasn't sure which ones.

Makarov called out to the group behind him, and Erza came running over, addressing the master with her head bowed. Mira wasn't too far behind, although she looked at the Phantom Lord group approaching warily.

"Erza," Makarov began. Natsu felt like he was intruding on some private conversation, but neither paid him any mind. "Any word from Laxus or Mystogan? Perhaps a sign from Gildarts?"

Erza shook her head. "I haven't heard any response from Gildarts. Last I heard, he had departed from a town in the north and began the trek to Mt. Zonia. No one has seen him since."

She paused for a moment, sparing a glance at Mira before turning back. "Earlier today, Laxus reported that he was a day's journey out with the Thunder God Tribe. At the earliest, we could expect him by tonight. And Mystogan…Mystogan reported that he was currently busy with some work farther to the south but has begun making his way north. He made no promises that he would be able to make it in time for the battle, however."

"This is not good…perhaps we could call upon…no." He shook his head, before turning back to Erza. "Alright. This will have to do for now. Tell the members to be on their guard and have the watchmen that we brought with us form a line in front of the camp. If Phantom Lord tries anything, tell them that I order them to engage immediately."

Erza nodded, turning to head back to the mages, when Makarov held a hand up. "Erza, I want you to join the meeting with us. Bring Gray as well. I think the three of you should be enough."

Mira remained when Erza ran off, silent for a moment, before finally speaking. "I will remain back with the less combat-oriented mages…," she said. "If you need any support, then you can call upon us."

Makarov nodded, and like Erza, she quickly ran back. Behind Natsu, the guardsmen they had brought with them were quickly moving into formation. The sound of their armor and weapons clanking made him cringe slightly, but he did his best to ignore it. Behind them, he could make out the other Fairy Tail mages preparing themselves as well. Elfman was transforming his arms into different types of souls, Macao was lighting his fingertips on fire, and Cana…well, Cana was just drinking more alcohol.

Natsu turned towards the master, trying to ignore all the sound behind him. In the field in front of them, the small procession from Phantom Lord had come to a halt. "Do you want me to join you as well?"

"Yes," Makarov replied, glancing at Natsu out of the corner of his eye. "Although I want no trouble. You don't do anything unless I say so."

Natsu nodded, slamming his fist into his palm. If it helped him get Lucy back, then he would do anything. And the first step to achieving that goal was talking with Phantom Lord.

When Erza finally returned with Gray, they set off. Four guardsmen accompanied them, holding their own Fairy Tail flags high in the air. The climb up the small hill took them a little while, but eventually they reached the Phantom Lord group. When they came to a stop in front of Phantom Lord, they were just outside of the range of the Oak Town men on the walls, but if it was needed, Natsu was sure that it wouldn't take long at all to send men pouring through the gate.

"Ahh, Makarov," Jose began, stroking the ends of his mustache. His voice was deep and gravely, sending shivers down Natsu's spine. The Phantom Lord guild master was a lot stronger than he made himself out to seem. "I'm so glad you've finally arrived. This is something I've been wanting to discuss for a _long_ time."

The largest of the three mages shifted behind him, and for a second, Natsu thought that he saw something flash behind the blindfold he wore. Erza had placed a hand on the sword strapped to her waist, and the air around Gray was growing cooler.

"What do you want, Jose?" Makarov said. He wore a passive look on his face, although there was an edge to his words that cut through the air. "You've assaulted my guild, kidnapped my children, and now wish to start a war? Have you lost your mind?"

To his credit, Jose Porla looked a bit baffled for a moment, but he was quick to recompose himself. "Do you seriously need to ask me such needless questions, Makarov? I thought you were smarter than that. These are the events that I have been dreaming of for far too long!"

Natsu's eyes widened, and he shared a glance with Erza. How long had he been planning this attack? Had it been his goal to create such a rift in the Alliance? He shook his head, glaring furiously at Jose. "Your cheap games won't work with us! Where is Lucy and the others?!"

"Seriously? I thought that you would do a better job at keeping your underlings contained, Makarov."

"Quiet, Natsu." Makarov stepped forward, staring down Jose. The tension between them was palpable, and Natsu took a wary step back. Magic began to swirl between them, taking a physical form from the pressure that was being exerted. Orbs of darkness swirled around the base of Jose's feet, while Makarov began to glow with a white energy. This was the power of two of the strongest mages in the Alliance. Two of the Ten Wizard Saints.

"Now, you listen here, Jose. You hand back those you've kidnapped, or I promise you that it shall be the end of Phantom Lord."

Jose laughed, and the mage with white and black hair snorted. The Phantom Lord guild master waved a hand behind him, towards the fortified city of Oak Town. "How do you propose that will happen? Have you seen the size of our forces compared to yours? Not even that, but you would still have to get across the walls first!"

"So, no." Jose took a step forward. The magic pressure continued to build between the two. "I don't think I'll be doing anything. It's time to finally prove that we should be leading the Alliance. Fairy Tail's time is over!"

With that proclamation, Jose whipped around, stalking his way back to the Oak Town gate. His purple cloak fluttered behind him, and Natsu found himself despising the color. Without a word, Makarov began to head back to their own lines, with Erza quickly following behind him. Gray buried his hands in his pant's pockets, although he was currently top-less.

"This isn't good."

As they finally approached the beginning of their encampment, and approached the largest of the tents, Makarov's words drew his attention again. They all came to a halt outside of the master's tent, although when he spoke, it seemed like he was distracted.

"Jose has always been jealous of our success and position of leadership in the Alliance, but I never thought that he would take it this far."

Erza stepped forward, her armor rattling. Natsu winced again. "Master, I don't believe that we can afford to fight a war right now. I don't see how we will be able to get through the walls. Perhaps we should call upon some of our allies? Before this gets out of hand."

No," Makarov said, waving his hand in dismissal. "This is a problem between us and them. With this war, the Alliance has already grown much weaker. Once word of this spreads, if it hasn't already, the Dark Guilds will capitalize on our newfound weakness. We cannot risk the potential loss of even more Alliance guilds."

She bowed her head, although pursed her lips as though she wanted to say more. Makarov turned to the sky, staring into the air. He pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a deep sigh. "What would you do in this situation?" he muttered. Natsu wasn't sure who he was talking to, and from Erza's and Gray's glances, they didn't know either.

Eventually, he faced them again, a solemn look on his face. "Go, get some rest. You will need it, for once Laxus arrives, the real battle shall begin."

Makarov turned and entered his tent, leaving the three mages standing in silence. Gray muttered something about needed to find his shirt, before quickly departing. Erza spared a few glances between the camp and Makarov's tent, seemingly undecided as to what she wanted to do, but eventually nodded to Natsu before taking off in the direction of her own tent.

Natsu sighed, spotting Happy flying beside Wendy and Charla in the distance. Part of him wanted to go over and chat with his friend, as he knew that the cat had been rather anxious about everything, but he just felt that it wasn't the time. Unless he settled his own nerves, how could he help Happy with his own?

There was a sudden shout from one of the guardsmen. When Natsu looked over in his direction, the guard was pointing to Oak Town. A few other men began to scramble around the camp, grabbing weapons and pushing everyone else to get moving. He couldn't see what they were pointing at, and quickly made his way over to the guard that had shouted.

He peered at the town, and his heart suddenly dropped. Phantom Lord's guild was opening—no, it was _moving_. The entire building was shifting, rotating so that it was now directly facing them. The large roof had opened, revealing the barrel of a long cannon within, and Natsu could only continue watching, frozen in place.

"Behold!" Jose's voice boomed, alerting everyone within miles of the city. Natsu's eyes only widened, watching as the barrel slowly rotated towards their camp. "The Jupiter Cannon!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Now, the action begins!**

 **Huge thanks to all the favorites, follows, and reviews(Awareness Bringer, SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta, FireShifter, AACM25, and Ushindeshi)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Natsu yelled out, tackling the closest guard to him when the cannon fired. The _BOOM_ that sounded from the weapon was deafening, and the earth trembled as the beam shot overhead. It hit the far end of camp, and Natsu could hear the screams and cries from all those that had been within the vicinity. As far as he could tell, the blast was made of raw magic power, and even when it finally began to dissipate, he could feel the intense aura of magic bearing down on him.

Master Makarov rushed into action, doing his best to regroup the panicking guards and mages. They were all a disorganized mess, forming up into uneven lines as they tried to make sense of what was happening. Already, the Jupiter Cannon was glowing in preparation to fire again. Natsu didn't know how long it took to charge the weapon, but he knew that they needed to be as ready as possible for when it did.

The far end of camp was nothing more than a smoldering wasteland. Smoke was rising from the earth, and he could make out a few figures laying on the ground—some being eerily still. There were no longer any traces of the tents that had been pitched there, and he could only hope that most of the people had been able to survive the hit.

Part of him desperately wanted to rush over and check on his family, but he knew that he needed to focus on the task ahead. The mages with less offensive magic will handle the injured, and they needed to stop Phantom Lord from using that cannon again. Gray ran passed him, running in the direction of the town, and Erza was quick to follow. The Magnolia guards were still rushing to get into formation, but some had already begun the advance to the Oak Town walls.

The guards on top of the Oak Town walls shouted at them and fired a burst of magic at the advancing Fairy Tail mages. All types of magic began to fly overhead, ranging from golden arrows, to bursts of water, and he could even spot a few stars flying towards them. The Magnolia guards raised their shields, each glowing with their own magical enchantments. Master Makarov had introduced the enchantment on the journey here, and it seemed that it was already proving to be useful. The guards managed to effectively block many of the incoming attacks, although a few still managed to slip through the gaps.

The attacks from Oak Town were relentless, and with the Jupiter Cannon steadily recharging, they were on borrowed time. Natsu rushed to the front of the line, following Erza and Gray as they made their way towards the walls. He could hear Master Makarov still shouting behind him, and even though they were progressing at a steady pace, they would never make it in time unless they managed to lessen the attacks raining down on them.

Elfman was one of the few mages standing at the front of the line. He had transformed his arms into one of his beast souls, using them to hold up a giant square shield—one that was thrice the size of the ones used by the guards. His arms looked to be made of some type of metal, and the mage roared as more attacks battered against his shield. Some guards hid behind his shield, but even with his powerful magic, he was slowly being forced back by the intensity behind Oak Town's strikes.

A few of the Fairy Tail mages attempted to fire off their own magic in retaliation, although they typically missed their mark, either falling to the earth before the wall, or flying passed and into the city beyond. Natsu could only hope that Phantom Lord had at least cared about the citizens enough to warn them ahead of time or provide them with some form of protection.

Erza and Gray were already at the walls. There was a brief flash of blue light and a magic circle soon formed underneath Gray's feet. Then, a brief lull, until a giant pillar of ice appeared from behind the ice mage, flying over their heads and colliding into the walls of Oak Town. Chunks of stone were sent flying into the air as many of the guards atop the wall disappeared in the clouds of smoke and debris or were sent flying from the force of the impact. The attacks on Fairy Tail momentarily paused as the Oak Town guards attempted to help their companions, which allowed for the Magnolia line to pick up speed.

"Here's our chance!" Master Makarov yelled, using his magic to grow larger. He held out a hand, pointing at the town. "We need to reach the walls!"

Natsu surged forward ahead of the line. He wanted to get involved in the action immediately, and he'd be damned if he let Gray take all the credit. There wasn't much of a run to reach the base of the wall and had only needed to dodge a few attacks on the way there. Many of the Oak Town defenders were still scrambling after Gray's attack, although Natsu found it concerning that they really hadn't attempted to stop the ice mage's attack before it could hit. It almost seemed like they had broken through all too easily.

He used the remains of Gray's initial ice pillar to run up to the walls. When his foot finally met with the stone path atop of the wall, he sent an enflamed fist straight into the closest guard's face. Three more guards quickly swarmed him, pointing their spears or firing some magic in his direction. But, before he could deal with them, a figure in black descended from the sky, and they were quickly subdued.

Erza stood in front of him in her Black Wing Armor, looking angrier than he had ever seen. She held her sword up in the air, glancing back at the Fairy Tail soldiers advancing before turning back.

"Natsu," she said, pausing a moment to take another breath. "Let us deal with the rest of the guards here. Make your way towards the Phantom Lord and clear out any other opposition on the way. I'll send Gray forward as well."

She was gone before he could reply, disappearing down the wall and attacking another set of Oak Town guards. He didn't need any further instructions, jumping down into the town with a scream. A guard jabbed at him with a spear, which he grabbed and yanked out of the guard's hands before sending him flying with a, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

He shoved another out of the way, taking off down the streets. The town was in chaos, with citizens rushing around wildly in a desperate attempt to find cover. A few of the buildings were burning, with smoke billowing up into the sky and painting the once blue sky a foggy gray. He stopped for a moment next to one of the fires, swallowing as much of the flames as he could before moving on down the street.

The air was filled with the sounds of screaming and fighting. It was a bit overwhelming, and he couldn't recall a time where his senses had been this overloaded before. He could smell the smoke all around them, feel the earth as it trembled beneath them, and even the faint metallic smell of blood was pungent. It was one thing to hear about the stories of destruction and war across the land, but to be standing within the midst of one was an entirely different experience.

Nevertheless, he pushed forward. He couldn't afford to stop now, not if he wanted any chance at saving his friends. The rest of the guild was giving it their all, and so he would give it everything he had as well, even if it meant pushing himself more than ever before.

He was steadily moving closer to the Phantom Lord guild hall. The Jupiter Cannon was angling down, away from the Fairy Tail camp and directly at the front line. If they shot it as it was, then it would not only hit Fairy Tail, but also a large portion of Oak Town. Natsu hesitated for a moment, and a large man ran into him, sending him tumbling to the ground. He barely managed to look up in time, pushing himself up to his hands and knees, to see the barrel of the Jupiter Cannon beginning to grow bright.

His panic grew with increased vigor. He thought that he could hear Phantom Lord's master, Jose Porla shouting something again, but it was muffled by the cries of the people around him. He had just managed to stumble back to his feet and continue his path through the town when the world began to shake again. He grabbed onto the closest building, pulling a smaller child along with him while using the old bricks to try and keep his balance. When the shaking was over, the child ran off quicker than Natsu could stop him.

The gate into Oak Town had been destroyed, and Natsu could see the Master's enlarged form towering over many of the smaller buildings as he stepped through. The Fairy Tail Master's body had a golden hue around it, and he could see the rage pulsing in the older man's eyes. He didn't think that he had ever seen the master so angry before. Makarov pointed a finger forward, directly at the Phantom Lord guild hall.

"Push through!" Makarov yelled. "Rescue our family!"

The rest of Fairy Tail surged through the gateway, flinging magic and attacking any enemies that were before them. It was a scene that Natsu could have never imagined before, and he had to tighten his grip on the rough stone on the building in order to keep himself focused. It seemed like they were gaining the upper hand now, but he still couldn't help but feel like it was going _to_ well for them. So far, they had only faced the Oak Town guards, and maybe a few Phantom Lord mages here and there, and if that was the case, then where were the rest of them?

It was only when he heard the groaning from the Jupiter Cannon again that he was knocked back out of his thoughts. The barrel was moving again, clinking as it did so, and this time, it was aiming right at the gate where the Fairy Tail members were still pouring through.

Natsu began to run towards Fairy Tail, all thoughts of reaching the guild hall quickly forgotten. The magic pressure grew immensely overhead, and Jose's cackling only grew louder. It was nearly impossible to move through the street, as he kept needing to weave in between all the people moving in the opposite direction. There would be no way he would make it in time.

There was a bright flash of light, and the beam from the cannon descended upon the grouped-up members of Fairy Tail. Natsu yelled, pushing passed a few more citizens, but there was nothing he could do but watch. Master Makarov's eyes even widened, as he held his hands up in front of him to form a barrier, but having been distracted in the initial charge, it looked like he would be too slow.

The beam of magic tore the roofs off many of the buildings, temporarily blinding many that looked at it. He was still rushing back but let out a small breath of relief when he spotted Erza standing on top of one of the buildings above him, adorned in her Adamantine Armor. She quickly locked her shields together, bracing herself on the shaky rooftop as best as she could. He wasted no time, scaling up the side of the building and jumping over a few of the rooftops to stand right behind her, doing his best to support her.

A wall of ice erected itself behind them, allowing for Erza to brace herself even further, and Gray quickly slid in next to them as well. There was silence for a moment, with only the trembling of the earth below and the pressure from the cannon bearing down on them. And the next, they were all screaming as they withstood the blast from the cannon.

Erza bore the brunt of the blast, limbs trembling from the effort of holding her shields up. She screamed, and Natsu did his best to help stop her from collapsing under the pressure. Gray was constantly rebuilding the ice wall behind them as it continuously crumbled.

Natsu shut his eyes tight, his limbs feeling like they were on fire. The pressure from the blast was more intense than anything he had felt before, and no doubt, if he was feeling this way, than Erza was in much worse condition. She was one of the strongest mages that he had ever met, but there was no way that even she could handle this much magic at once.

It was over as quickly as it begun. All that was left around them were the crumbled remains of the many houses and shops that had been destroyed. Gray delicately used his magic to bring them back down to the streets, which is when Erza promptly faded. Her armor was smoking, cracked, and she shivered even though her face was doused in sweat. Natsu promptly picked her up, the rest of her armor shattering as he did so, with Gray using a hand to keep her forehead cool.

They began to rush back to the Fairy Tail line. They looked mostly unharmed, thanks to Erza, but the streets leading up to them looked mysteriously empty. He could only hope that the rest of the citizens had found somewhere safe to hide.

Master Makarov shrunk down as soon as they were within reach, placing a hand on Erza's forehead and muttering to himself. She was shivering even worse now. "Foolish girl." He looked up at Natsu and Gray. "Bring her back to the camp. She's in no condition to continue. None of us are."

Jose Porla's voice rang out over head, and this was the first time Natsu had been able to hear him since the battle had begun. "Looks like you Fairy Tail mages have a bit more in you than I initially thought. To think that one of you had the power to withstand a blast from the Jupiter Cannon." Jose sighed, and Natsu wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face. "No matter. The Jupiter Cannon will be charged again shortly, and there will be nothing more than any of you can do to stop us. Phantom Lord will prevail!"

* * *

 **Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thanks for reading! Sorry for the wait, and I hope you enjoyed!**

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 **Thanks for the favorites, follows, and reviews(FireShifter, SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta, Awareness Bringer, Ushindeshi, and Lady of the Sphinx).**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Lucy knew that there would be no escape from the dark expanse of her room. Not when her father was keeping such a close eye on her. But that didn't stop her from at least trying.

She first tried to convince the guards to let her out. When they inevitably didn't budge, and she was thrown back into her room, she moved on to the window. It was only then that she found out that her father must've had metal bars placed within the frame. They were so tightly placed that she could barely slide her wrist through them.

Sighing, Lucy stormed over to her bed before taking a seat on the edge. Her eyes roamed over her room, taking in the random pieces of clothing and objects that were strewn about, along with the opened closet and drawers. It may have seemed to soon, but she was finally ready to admit that there was nothing she could do. Her father had gone off to do who knows what, while the rest of Fairy Tail was probably preparing to fight Phantom Lord.

She fell back onto her bed, her arm coming up to rest across her forehead. Had there really been anything she could have done? She had run away from the only real family she had left, all in a desperate attempt to try and convince her father to do what? He never did anything except for what he wanted, so why would he have finally listened to her now.

Lucy kept replaying those thoughts in her mind, cursing herself over and over for her foolishness. She should've known better, but then again, it had been her actions that had put her guild in this situation to begin with.

She blinked rapidly, doing her best to try and get rid of the tears building up in her eyes, but it was futile, and soon enough she was beginning to sniffle. There was nothing she could do. She would just have to sit and watch as her father tried to destroy her guild. Turning her wrist, she found herself staring at the Fairy Tail symbol. The bright pink color stood out to her more than ever, and she was overcome with a sudden pang of sadness.

The time passed slowly, and she had eventually fallen asleep. When she awoke, the sun was setting far on the horizon, and the sounds coming from the estate outside were much livelier than they had been throughout the past morning. There were shouts from the guards, the ringing of steel on steel, and the sounds of different spells being cast.

Her back ached when she sat back up. There was a small tray placed at the end of the bed, with a glass and a bowl of soup that had long since gone cold. She stood, leaning back to rid herself of the pain when the door to her room suddenly opened. She stood up straighter, but once again found herself withering under her father's glare.

"You're awake," he grumbled. "Good. The maid shall help you get ready, and then you shall join me in the hall."

He was gone as quickly as he came, and she was soon being ushered over to her closet by the maid. She had to jump and step over some of the items on the ground, but the maid paid them no heed. Before she had a moment to gather herself, the maid was already handing her a new yellow dress and a set of slippers to replace her dirtied clothing and boots. If there was one definitive thing that could be said about her father, it was that he had always had an expensive taste.

After she slipped out of her old outfit and threw on the dress at the insistence of the maid's constant prodding, she was pushed back onto the edge of her bed. The maid pulled a brush out of her pocket, before attempting to make her hair as nice as possible, which was a task as futile as her possibility for escape. Lucy couldn't remember the last time she had actually spent time to take care of herself, having been on the road with Fairy Tail for weeks, and then running off to make her way here. Her eyes stung of tears once more, but she did her best to hide them from the maid.

The maid eventually stepped back, humming quietly to herself as she shoved the brush back into her apron. "Alright," she muttered, placing a finger on her lips. "That's the best I'll be able to do. At least you look somewhat presentable."

Lucy remained quiet as she stood. There was a mirror in the corner of the room, and part of her was tempted to go and peek. But, before she could, the maid grabbed her arm and was leading her out of the room. The guards that had been placed by her door fell in line with them as they moved through the estate. They were soon standing outside of the grand doors that led into the hall. The maid stepped away quietly and waved her inside as the guards pushed the doors open.

Her father was sitting at the head of the grand table, seated in a large oak chair. It had been specially made to look like a throne. _The host should always sit above his guests_ , her father had once said. She couldn't help but be disgusted by how wrong he was.

There were a few others sat around the table. The white-haired man she had seen when she had first arrived back at the estate sat right beside her father. He had been listening as her father spoke to one of the others about some old tale, but as soon as she had stepped into the room, his eyes had shifted to her. She met his red eyes only for a moment before turning away. There was something about him that unnerved her.

"Lucy," her father called out. The seat to his left was empty as he patted it. "Come, take a seat."

She hesitated, only to be pushed forward by one of the guards behind her. She shuffled over to the seat, eyes trained on the ground as she tried to ignore all the different stares. But when she was just a few steps from her own seat, she froze. Sitting in the seat beside it was a face that she hadn't seen for a while but remembered all to clearly.

"Hello, Lucy," Racer began. He wore a slight smirk, but bowed his head slightly, nonetheless. "It's a pleasure to properly meet you."

She was rooted in her spot, trembling slightly as she stared at the man. There was a loud sigh, and a man with purple hair leaned back in the seat beside Racer. When he grinned, his longer canines glinted in the candlelight, and she jumped when a snake made its way out from beneath his seat.

"Cubellios is interested in you." Lucy rushed over to her seat, sitting herself down and turning to face her father just so she didn't have to look at the others. The purple-haired man simply sighed again. "Now you've offended her."

The red-eyed man watched her the entire time with an unreadable expression, yet simply said, "Tell your pet to quiet down, Cobra. If you can't keep it under control, then I shall send it back outside where it belongs."

Cobra grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest as Cubellios slithered back under his chair. There was a moment of silence, before her father clapped his hands and a swarm of maids filled the hall. They carried all sorts of plates and dishes. The smell of the food that Lucy used to eat everyday filled the air, and she felt a pang of hunger in her stomach. It must have been nearly a day since she had last eaten, and despite her stomach yearning for the food, she forced herself to keep her gaze averted as the rest of the table began to eat.

"Lucy," her father said in between bites. "You must eat."

When she did nothing, her father just shook his head before continuing his meal. There was nothing except for the sounds of silverware clinking and eating for a while, but eventually Racer spoke up once more.

"Can we hurry this up a bit? The food is good and all, but I have things to do."

Cobra hummed in agreement while he fed Cubellios a bit of meat. Lucy still refused to look up, but she could sense the gaze of the white-haired man on her. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched her father dab the edges of his mouth with a cloth.

"Fine," her father said. "Let us discuss."

A gruff voice spoke up from across the table, and Lucy slumped in relief when the man's gaze finally left her. It wasn't much relief however, as her father reached under the table to grip her hand tightly, warning her.

"The deal," the man spoke. His voice was deep—much deeper than even her fathers and she could sense a certain power behind it. It even seemed to put Racer and Cobra on edge. "I wish to discuss the terms."

"The terms?" Her father frowned. "I thought that we had an agreement. I gave you your war between the guilds, and you would help secure our estate and the railways across Fiore."

"We had," the man agreed. He smiled now, one that only showed the slightest of teeth. Lucy shivered as he turned back to her. "Yet, I didn't know that you had such a valuable prize under your control."

Her father was silent for a moment, looking between her and the man. Suddenly, he gripped the arms of his chair and lurched to his feet. The guards at the doorway suddenly seemed on edge, pulling out their blades and holding them at the ready.

Cobra glanced at them tiredly, yawning. "I hate to agree with him, but Racer is right. Hurry this show up."

"Patience, you two," the white-haired man chided.

Her father's face was reddening, fists clenched. Lucy didn't think she had seen him so angry before. "You dare to speak of my daughter in such a manner? She is the heir to the Heartfilia Estate, and you shall not disrespect us in our home. I thought you would know better, Brain."

Typically, Lucy thought that a child would feel relieved to have their parent defend them in such a manner. Yet, it brought her nothing but grief for what it meant. Her gaze flittered to the white-haired man. So, his name was Brain. She thought it odd, but looking over his companions, it was no stranger than theirs. Besides, the oddity of their names were the least of her worries.

"Relax." Brain looked up at her father, lips pinched and a glare in his eye. "You had a celestial wizard for a daughter, and never cared to share that information with us. You could imagine my surprise when Racer returned to report that he had fought one a while back."

Her father looked ready to explode. The guards beside the door were glancing warily at each other. The power in the air was palpable. Brain clearly wasn't a man that you wanted to anger willingly.

"You have no right!" Her father pointed a finger at Brain, who just raised an eyebrow. "You have no right to question me. She is my daughter, and not something I will just trade away!"

"I would say that I have all the right."

The guards by the door cried out, collapsing to the ground. Cubellios curled up around them, blood dripping from her fangs. Her father spluttered, but the next moment, he was pushed to the ground and shackled by Racer. He tried to shout something but was quickly gagged. There was a crazed look in his eye as he continued to fight against the restraints.

"Now, perhaps we can talk in peace…Lucy, was it?"

Lucy nodded; eyes trained on Cobra while he moved to stand next to Cubellios. He pushed one of the smaller tables in front of the door, barring it. She could already hear the rest of the guards banging on the door from the outside. Racer stood beside her father, smirking at the man with his hands buried deep in his pockets. Brain was simply watching her, a strange glint still evident in his eyes.

She had never felt fear like this before.

"It would seem that you lost these," Brain continued. He held out his hand, and Lucy spotted her keyring in his hand. Her father's muffled shouting got even louder. "Here."

Brain tossed them to her, which she lunged out to catch. She clutched them against her chest, fingers already tightening on one of the keys. She wouldn't be able to win in a fight, not against all three, but at least she would go out trying. The thought didn't do anything to reassure her, and she couldn't stop the trembling in her hand.

"Well," Brain sighed. "I suppose that this is where our deal ends, Mr. Heartfilia. It's unfortunate, as we could've used you for a while longer, but your daughter's allegiance to Fairy Tail changes things a tad."

Her father's shouting never ceased. Cobra sighed at the other end of the room. "Let's go," he said. "This screaming is hurting my ears."

Brain turned to her. "You have a choice here, Lucy. I have handed you the keys to your magic. Now, you can either come with us willingly, or I will have Racer tie you up and drag you along."

Lucy remained quiet, her lips refusing to move. Brain took a step closer and she took one back. Her gaze flicked between her father and Brain. Her father was watching her, shaking his head and pleading with his gaze.

"Well," he demanded. "Which is it?"

"I will go."

Her words were nothing more than a whisper, but he heard, nonetheless, as his lips curled up into a pleased smile. "Good."

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Now, we finally start digging in as to what role the Oracion Seis have been playing thus far.**

 **Thanks for the favorites, follows, and reviews(Awareness Bringer, FireShifter)!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Natsu stood outside Oak Town, his gaze lingering over the devastation that was caused in the battle.

The front walls were destroyed, and any parts that remained standing were cracked and crumbling. The force of a stone slamming into the ground sent tremors through his body. He took a step over a chunk of rubble, stomach churning. The smell of blood was overwhelming, and he kept an arm up to block the smell, but there was so much that it was a fruitless endeavor. It was all he could do to continue stumbling through the carnage back towards the Fairy Tail camp.

The air was filled with the sound of Jupiter Cannon recharging. Jose's laughter filled the air, taunting the Fairy Tail mages as they ran back through the town. Gray had taken Erza a while ago, although Natsu couldn't remember exactly when through the fogginess of his mind. It had seemed to be going well at first, but then, all it had taken was that second strike from the Jupiter Cannon for everything to falter.

Gramps had called for everyone to retreat. He didn't want to, and his heart urged for him to push forward to fight the guild that had kidnapped and hurt his friends. But all it took was another look at the blood and tear streaked faces of the rest of his guild for his resolve to crumble. There was nothing they could do to stop such a weapon without needing to run through the rest of the city, and without Erza, or a clear way to stop it, they wouldn't be able to block it for a third time.

The gateway was nonexistent as he made his way through the ruins of the grand arch. He thought back to the moment when Gramps had broken through, and that brief moment of hope that he had felt. He couldn't believe that things had gone downhill so fast.

The Fairy Tail camp was in shambles, with tents propped up or collapsed, and crates of supplies still left around sporadically. The guards had already begun to run, clearly not even attempting to take anything with them as they sought to get away from the cannon. Natsu couldn't blame them, as when he turned to glance at Phantom Lord one last time, his heart skipped as the barrel of the cannon began growing brighter once more.

"Natsu!"

He glanced around, searching for the one that had called him. He couldn't see anyone through the chaos, and for a moment, he thought that he had perhaps been his imagination.

"Natsu!"

There it was again, closer this time. He glanced up, only to find Happy descending on him from above. The small cat quickly grabbed onto his shoulders, lifting him into the air. He didn't even try to fight it and allowed for his companion to begin carrying him away. From above, he could see that the rest of their camp was truly abandoned. He was immediately grateful for that fact, as the Jupiter Cannon had finally finished recharging and fired on the camp. Jose's laughter continued ringing in the background, and all he could do was watch everything was destroyed. The earth cracked, spewing dirt, trees and rock high into the hair. He winced as a bit hit his face, but kept his eyes on the ground, nonetheless.

"Yes! Run, Fairy Tail!" Jose's voice was taunting, and Natsu clenched a fist. "You won't be able to run forever! Run and hide behind the walls of Magnolia! It'll only be a matter of time before we come to finish this!"

The words faded as Happy continued to carry him away. It took a few minutes, but eventually, he spotted the trail end of the Fairy Tail group. They had slowed, attempting to regather themselves. He could no longer see the walls of Oak Town, nor any of the remaining buildings. Only the peaks of the Phantom Lord guild hall. They had made it out of range of the cannon.

Happy brought him down beside a group of guards, who only gave him a weary glance as they slumped on the ground, resting against the trunks of a few trees, boulders, or whatever else they could find. His feet were shaky once Happy dropped him, and like them, he felt like he just wanted to collapse himself. The adrenaline was finally dissipating, and it left him feeling drained. He would need to find a fire to eat later.

He heard Happy muttering a few things to some of the guards, but he just slowly made his way through the blob of Fairy Tail members. Everyone was disoriented, and many were treating the injuries that they had been dealt. Off to one side, he could see Mira helping a few guards with Elfman. The larger man's arm was decorated in a mess of black and purple. Whatever had happened to him, it must not have been easy.

Natsu sat on a fallen tree, resting his head in his hands. The fact that they had failed to save Levy, Jet, and Droy plagued his mind. He wanted nothing more than to go back there and continue fighting, but he fought that urge. It would be pointless, not when Phantom Lord could continue firing the Jupiter Cannon like they were. They needed someone that could stand against the power, and with Erza down, no one else here could.

Gramps probably could, Natsu mused, but if it took a toll on him as much as it did Erza, then it wouldn't matter anyhow. It was well known that Jose was a Wizard Saint, just like Gramps, and so he was the only one that could stand up to the Phantom Lord guild master when it came down to it. If Gramps fell, then Fairy Tail would fall for sure if they didn't receive help.

"Natsu!"

Gray's voice pulled Natsu from his thoughts, and he looked up to see the ice mage standing just a few feet in front of him. The raven-haired mage had his shirt off, and he was tugging on the edge of his pants like he was thinking about removing them too.

"What?" Natsu grumbled, turning back to the ground as he ran a hand down his face. He _really_ did not want to deal with his fellow mage right now.

"The master wants to see you. He's at the front."

Gray turned to leave, but Natsu quickly called out to him to get him to stop. "How's Erza?"

The ice mage was silent for moment, before glancing at Natsu out of the corner of his eye. "We don't know yet. She hasn't awoken, but once we get closer we will go get Porlyusica."

With that, he was gone, and Natsu stood up with a sigh. His eyes roamed over the group one more time, and he felt his chest tighten. He hoped that the master had a plan, because if he didn't, he wasn't sure how much longer they'd be able to last for.

* * *

Lucy frowned, looking at the back of Cobra's head as he rode in front of her. Cubellios followed beside them, occasionally hissing or slithering away to chase some small creature. They had left the Heartfilia Estate just over an hour ago, if she was reading the sun correctly. She had no clue where they were going, and she hadn't dared spoken a single word to them. Racer had left a while ago, going off to do who knows what at the request of Brain.

Brain himself sat on another horse behind her, having been silent much like herself the entire time. Every so often, he would quietly mutter to himself, but it was much too low to hear. She just hoped that they arrived at wherever they were taking her soon, for she didn't know how much longer she could stand this silence.

"Would you shut up?" Cobra spoke, clearly annoyed. He didn't turn to face her, but she could imagine the picture of annoyance on his face. "All you do is think and think and think. Just stop already, it's giving me a headache."

As if sensing her master's annoyance, Cubellios turned her head briefly to hiss in her direction. Lucy just pulled her feet up on her horse a bit higher.

"You…" Lucy's words faded away as she heard him sigh. Nonetheless, she continued with her question. "You can hear my thoughts?"

"If that wasn't clear enough, yes, I can hear your thoughts. And they are just as loud and annoying as your true voice."

She frowned but fell into silence anyway. She didn't really care if he was annoyed, but the fact that he could read her mind irked her to no end. If he could do that, just how long had he been listening in for, and what kind of things had he heard while at the estate. There had to be a way to stop him from listening.

"I could stop listening if you would just shut up. The more you yap, the more I listen. Simple. So, just be _quiet_."

She felt the heat rise to her face and looked back down at the ground. The small group continued onwards, soon approaching on the edge of a thin forest, with small patches of farmland growing on the outer frays. There were a few small houses built sporadically across the land, with cows and sheep roaming freely. But no matter where she looked, she couldn't spot any other people.

Her fingers lingered on her key ring, slipping through one ring to the next before repeating. She had long since realized that she would stand no chance against the two if it came down to a fight, but just having them brought her a sense of comfort. If she was being truthful, it was almost like she felt a sort of calming energy radiating from the rings. It was something she had desperately missed.

They took their first few steps into the forest, before the path in front of them began to shiver and mist began to sputter from the ground. Lucy's breath quickened, and she glanced back at Brain warily, but he gave her no heed. Their horses just continued moving into the mist.

Cobra entered first, and she started when he suddenly vanished, with Cubellios soon following. Before she had any chance to question it, she was entering the mist herself. A wave of fresh air washed over her, like the days she would spend standing in the gardens with her mother, but just as soon as it had arrived, it was gone. The heat of the forest quickly returned, and Cobra was waiting on his horse for her to appear.

"The gardens with your mother, huh?" Cobra taunted. Now that he was facing her, she could see the slight smirk tugging on the corners of his mouth. "Must've been nice, I suppose. I couldn't bear to be in a place like that; would make my senses go crazy."

Lucy frowned, already beginning to berate the cocky man before her when Brain appeared behind them. He gave the two a serious glance—one that made Cobra quickly avert his eyes and continue moving down the path. Cubellios hissed softly again, before taking off after her master.

"Ignore Cobra, Miss Heartfilia." Brain's words were grating, like stone clashing against stone. It pierced her ears with a level of power that she hadn't felt in many people before. Whatever he was planning to do, he truly wasn't doubting himself.

He rode up beside her, and she tensed as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do not fret. Everything will be explained soon enough."

They continued trotting forward. Brain moved ahead of her, joining Cobra. The trees began to part, and soon enough, they were standing in front of a small, rundown shack in the middle of the forest. Cobra hopped off his horse, before flinging open the door and moving inside. Brain sat patiently, but before long, returned. He did not come back alone.

Cobra threw the man forward, and he grunted as he slammed into the ground. A girl appeared from the shack, with short, straight white hair and an outfit that made her look like what Lucy could only describe as an angel. The girl stared down at the man in disdain.

"This, Miss Heartfilia," Brain spoke. The man looked up, and Lucy could the fury in his eyes. While mud coated the top of his hair, she could now make out the bright orange strands that almost seemed to glow. The remains of his suit were all but torn, with his legs and arms bound and a cloth tied around his mouth to keep him silent. "Is Leo the Lion. And unless you want him to die, you shall help us."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**

 **We have now reached the middle of the Phantom Lord Arc, along with the beginning of a new one with Lucy...I wonder what shall happen.**

 **Thanks for the favorites, follows, and reviews(FireShifter, Dragon Lord Draco, Amanny, Lord Jaric, CathJorda, Awareness Bringer).**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Their arrival back in Magnolia was a quiet affair.

They limped through the gates of Magnolia with the aid of some of the townsfolk and the guards that they had left behind. Natsu strode around to ensure that everyone was being taken care of. Gray had run off once they had spotted the walls, following Gramp's orders in going to find Porlyuscia. Erza had been feverish for the entire journey back, and the old woman was the best healer that Fairy Tail knew.

Natsu tried to ignore all the curious glares and worried gazes from the citizens around them while they marched back to the guild hall. There were questions being flung at them, all wondering about what had happened and what it would mean for them. Master Makarov did his best to control the crowd, but after getting a good look at the returning group, it was clear that nothing good had happened during the attack.

"What happened to Phantom Lord?!" a crowd member yelled. They had formed lines on either side of the street, watching them with intent gazes. "What is going to happen to us?"

"Did you rescue the other members?!"

"Have you seen my brother? He was with you guys when you left!"

"Is Phantom Lord going to be coming for us?! Do we have to leave?!"

Master Makarov stepped into the front of the group, both hands raised. Even from the back of the line where Natsu stood, he could see the weariness in the old man's eyes. It looked like he had aged ten years from the events.

"Please, everyone, calm down," Master Makarov said. "I will be speaking with the mayor soon, and we shall soon release details on what has occurred." He paused for a moment, and the crowd returned to their yelling in eagerness. Nonetheless, he continued, raising his voice to speak over them all. "Everyone simply needs to return to their homes for the time being!"

The crowd reluctantly began to disperse, disappearing into the many buildings and streets. Happy flew onto Natsu's shoulder, a somber expression across the cat's face. He had been trying to do anything to get the cat to cheer up, but nothing had worked. Not even talking to Charla had lifted his spirits.

"Natsu," Happy spoke, a waver in his voice. "What's going to happen to Lucy?"

Natsu didn't know what to say for a moment, his own thoughts in too much turmoil. Lucy had disappeared in the middle of the night before the attack had begun, and despite his best efforts, he hadn't even been able to get close to finding her. The Jupiter Cannon had made it near impossible to even get close to the Phantom Lord guild hall, if that had even been where she had run off too.

"I'm not sure, little buddy," he answered. "But no matter what, we will find her."

Happy didn't reply, but instead just snuggled into the side of his neck even further. They walked the rest of the distance to the guild in silence. The streets—now much emptier than they had been—seemed all too quiet. Natsu could remember the screams and panic in Oak Town, and he could never imagine such events happening in Magnolia.

Phantom Lord had fired that cannon without the slightest bit of care for their own citizens. Natsu clenched his fists, and he had to hold himself back from punching the nearest wall. They weren't a true guild, not when they committed such horrible acts.

As the large guild doors swung slowly open, creaking loudly, the members filtered into the hall, collapsing into the nearest seat that they could find. Natsu tucked himself and Happy in the corner, knowing that many of the other members needed much more attention than himself. What was supposed to be a place of joy and fun had quickly been turned into one of pain and hurt. Mira and a few others ran about the hall, seeing to the needs and aid of anyone that may have needed it. Elfman had carried Erza into one of the back rooms, which Master Makarov quickly entered as well, shutting the door closed behind him.

They had failed. Even though Natsu knew that he should be relieved that most of their members had made it out unscathed, the absence of Levy, Jet, and Droy stood out more than ever. And even more so than them, Lucy herself.

His thoughts were interrupted by Wendy making her way over to his corner. Charla was nowhere to be sighted, and the blue-haired girl herself simply kept her gaze locked on the floor. He felt a twinge of regret watching her stand before him. She had been dragged from her old guild unwillingly, only to be brought here and immediately thrust into the middle of a war. That was no way for a new member to be introduced, let alone someone as young as her.

"Wendy," Natsu called out, waving her over. She glanced up at him quickly, before taking a seat in a chair beside him. There was silence for a few moments, before Natsu continued, "I'm sorry."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. The sounds of people being attended to filled the air, along with the discussions of what they thought would come next. None seemed to feel too strongly about what had happened.

"It's okay." Wendy's gaze turned back toward the ground, and they fell into silence once more. At some point, Happy stood from Natsu's shoulder before disappearing into the crowds. Natsu let him go, knowing that he wanted to be left alone.

"What will happen to Erza?"

Natsu started at Wendy's question. "I…I'm not sure, yet. Gray ran off to get the old woman from the forest. She might be able to help."

Wendy was silent, before she turned to face him once more, this time looking him square in the eye. There was a determination there that he had never seen before in the girl. "I want to try to help."

Natsu frowned, rubbing the back of his head. "I mean, I suppose you could ask Mira if she needs anymore help, but outside of that, I don't think there's much more we can do."

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "I want to help Erza."

As she finished her statement, she stood from her seat, fists clenched and trembling. There was a waver to her voice, as if she was unsure of what she was saying herself.

"I can heal others with my magic. It's the last thing that Grandeeney taught me to do before disappearing."

"You have healing magic?"

"Yes," Wendy replied. She grabbed ahold of his hand and began to pull him out of his seat. "That's what my Sky Dragon Slayer Magic is. I can use it to heal others."

"That's awesome!" Despite the mood in the guild, Natsu couldn't help but get excited at the prospect of being able to help Erza. "Let's go!"

Natsu took the lead, making his way to the door that he had seen Elfman bring Erza through. It had gone undisturbed the entire time thus far, and he still hadn't seen Master Makarov leave. When he knocked on the rough wood, there was no reply, and so he knocked again with even more force.

The master slowly opened the door, meeting Natsu with a furious look, before hissing out in low words. "Not now, Natsu. Leave Erza to rest!"

Natsu stuck his foot in front of the door to stop the master as he tried to close it once again. Master Makarov opened his mouth to speak again, but Natsu pushed Wendy forward before he could get anything out. "Not me! It's about Wendy!"

The younger dragon slayer stuttered a few times, fiddling with her fingers. Natsu could see the master slowly growing more and more irritated, so he placed a hand on her shoulder before continuing himself. "Wendy says that she has healing magic. She wanted to try to help Erza."

Master Makarov hesitated, before turning to Wendy with a frown. "You have healing magic?"

"It's my dragon slaying magic. Please, let me try!"

There was no response for a moment. Master Makarov looked back into the room, undoubtedly where Erza lay before turning back with a sigh. He slowly opened the door wider, allowing the pair to step into the room. "Try to be quiet, alright. I don't wish to disturb her sleep."

Natsu followed Wendy into the room and came to a stop at the foot of the only occupied bed. Another empty bed lay on the other side of the room. Erza was wrapped tight in a pile of blankets, the remnants of her armor laying off to the side. Her face was red, hair splayed out all around her, slick with sweat. It was difficult seeing her resorted to such a position, having been used to seeing her as nothing but the strong leader that the guild had known for so long.

"Your magic," the master said. "Have you ever used it on anyone else before?"

Wendy nodded, pushing her fingers together. "Only a few times, but it was for nothing more than simple cuts and bruises. I've never tried to heal something this bad before."

Master Makarov sighed. "That's alright, my dear. If you could do anything at all than that would be great."

The master guided her over to the bedside, right beside Erza's head. When he placed a hand across her forehead, Erza winced. "I think that it's the magic that the Jupiter Cannon was made from. It clearly has a lasting effect."

Wendy simply nodded again. She unraveled the blankets a bit on one side, allowing for them to see Erza's arm. It was battered and bruised, all from having to hold back the force of the Jupiter Cannon herself. The worst parts of the arm had been covered in white bandages, which had recently been replaced.

Wendy grabbed onto Erza's hand, before closing her eyes. Natsu and Master Makarov shared a glance, before returning to watching the girl in silence. A faint blue glow appeared around her, soon spreading across Erza's prone figure. The only sounds that filled the room were of Erza's shuddered breaths, and Wendy's low chanting. That soon changed, as Erza's breathing slowly began to steady.

There was sweat beginning to form around Wendy's forehead, and before long, the young dragon slayer fell back a step. Master Makarov kept a hand around her arm to prevent her from falling any further, but let her keep going, nonetheless. Natsu's eyes widened as his eyes fell back to Erza's arm, and he could only stare in disbelief as the wounds slowly began to fade.

This went on for a few more minutes, before Wendy's eyes slowly fluttered open, and she slumped back against the small master. Her breath was ragged and sweat dripped down her forehead, but she had a relieved smile spread across her face. "I've done what I could. I…wish I could do more, but that's all the magic I have left."

Master Makarov shook his head, ensuring that the girl was settled properly against the wall before moving back to Erza. Her breathing had settled, and it already looked as if her fever was beginning to decrease. Natsu took a step around the bed, standing on the opposite side. He and the master shared a glance before turning back to Erza. Already, she was beginning to look like normal.

"Wendy!" Natsu exclaimed, before being immediately shushed by the master. He smiled sheepishly and continued in a quieter voice. "That was amazing!"

She gave him a tired smile in return but said nothing else. Her eyes were blinking rapidly, trying to keep herself awake, but failing desperately. The master moved to her side, gently lifting her up to bring her over to the empty bed, and just as she was getting settled down, the door to the room reopened. Gray appeared, quickly followed by the looming form of Porlyuscia. Natsu shivered at the sight, remembering his previous encounters with the old woman.

She immediately began rambling to Master Makarov, stating many times that he was reckless and foolish, among other things. Gray helped her set up the few belongings that she had brought, and quickly left the room. Natsu was soon moving to follow but hesitated at the sound of Wendy murmuring. She was covered by a thin blanket, nearly asleep and whispering. It was clear that the others in the room didn't hear, but Natsu was able to, and the words made him shiver.

"Grandeeney," she whispered, before falling completely asleep. "Is that you?"

* * *

 **Thank you for all the reviews! Your support means the world to me!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Lucy only looked on as Angel pushed Leo back into the small shack. The celestial spirit grunted, face contorting in pain as he was thrown to the ground, Angel following quickly behind him. The shackles rattled loudly, and she instinctively found herself gripping her own key ring.

"How…" Lucy said. "How is this possible?"

Brain hummed quietly. "Leo has been trapped here for quite some time. Much longer than should've been possible, according to Angel."

Angel stepped back through the door, coming to rest on a small bench outside of the shack. There was a small fire crackling in front of it, with some type of meat cooking above it. Lucy could only watch, feeling sick to her stomach. It _should_ have been impossible for a spirit to stay this long. Leo should've run out of magic.

"From what I gather," Angel spoke. Her voice was high, condescending. She shot Lucy a distasteful glare. "He refuses to return to the Spirit World. I have my theories, but I don't know if any are correct."

"So, Miss Heartfilia," Brain continued. "Since Leo has refused to share his story, it will be your duty to convince him otherwise."

Luc blinked, suddenly aware of all their eyes on her. Brain remained calm and collected, scheming as always. Cobra and Racer had been bickering off to one side, but when the conversation had started, they had turned their attention to her. She suddenly felt much smaller than before and was blatantly reminded of the fact that she was alone with four powerful mages.

If she was to survive, then she'd have to comply with their demands.

"I…I understand," she said. "I will try my best."

Brain took a step forward, cupping a hand under her chin and pulling her up to meet his eyes. "No, you will succeed." He glanced at Angel, who turned to the ground and huffed. "If you satisfy, then perhaps we will need to talk about replacing our current Celestial Mage. She has proven _very_ incompetent in this task."

He let her go, and Lucy released a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Her legs trembled, and her hand clenched around her key ring like a vice grip. She let it go, although that did nothing to sooth the trembling in her legs. She took a hesitant step towards the door, pausing as she glanced at Brain, not wanting to barge in without his approval.

He waved her forward, before turning to Racer and Cobra. Lucy hurried in, shutting the door quickly behind her as she heard the pair begin speaking. She knew that it was a risk, but she couldn't help but listen in to their conversation.

"Hoteye and Midnight," Brain said. His voice was muffled through the thin metal door. She could hear Angel quietly muttering to herself off to the side. "Have they done what I asked?"

She heard a hiss from Cubelios and a small yelp from Racer. Cobra laughed loudly.

"Yes," Cobra replied. "Hoteye went to ensure that Jude wouldn't try anything, while Midnight went to ensure that Phantom Lord made the right moves. Last I heard, Phantom Lord defeated Fairy Tail pretty handedly. They even managed to take out one of their S-Class mages."

Lucy shivered. That shouldn't have been possible. They had been so sure of themselves, and so many of the mages were so powerful. She hadn't thought that they could ever lose to anyone. Fairy Tail served as a beacon of hope throughout Fiore; to show the world that they could strive to be something better than what it currently was. And if they fell, then it would have terrible repercussions.

She forced herself not to think of that possibility too much. Already, she wanted to curl up into a ball and cry for being so foolish to think her father would've done anything. She wanted to cry for Levy and the others that had been taken by Phantom Lord. And now, for all those that might have been hurt, lost, or worse during the attack on Phantom Lord.

She couldn't allow herself to give in just yet. Not if she wanted to survive the Oracion Seis, and especially not if she wanted to have any chance at helping Leo return to the Spirit World and out of their clutches.

Lucy turned, placing her back against the door and sliding to the ground. Leo's huddled form shuffled by the wall, his bright orange hair catching the light. He watched her, a forlorn expression across his face.

"I'm sorry," Leo muttered. "I was a fool."

"It wasn't your fault."

Leo fell silent. Lucy shuffled a bit closer to him, ignoring the way the dirt and grime clung to her clothing. Up close, he looked even worse than before. Cuts and bruises were scattered across his body, showing through the tears in his suit and one of the lens of his sunglasses had been cracked and broken. This was supposed to be the leader of the Celestial Spirits, yet he remained chained in the corner of a run-down shack.

"If only that were true," Leo eventually replied.

Lucy had nothing to say to that. She knew that he blamed himself for what had happened to him, but how could she convince him otherwise?

"How are you still here?" Lucy said. Leo met her gaze once more, the orange of his irises seeming too clear for the current state that he was in. She felt none of the magical power from him that she typically felt from her other spirits, especially those of the golden keys. She decided to try a different approach. "How long have you been here? None of my spirits can stay for more than a few hours."

He didn't reply at first, but when he did, his words were low and pained. "So, you are a Celestial Mage too?"

Lucy nodded, and when he didn't respond, she spoke. "Yes."

"Then you should run. It will bring you nothing but danger if you stay here with me."

If she could, Lucy would've run far away from here already. Anything to get away from the members of the Oracion Seis, and all the pain they brought. She glanced at Leo. Although, now that she had seen what they had done, and what they were truly trying to do, she wasn't sure if she would've been able to make that choice. She needed to help him, just as she would the rest of her spirits.

"You know that isn't possible."

Leo grunted. He shifted, rattling the chains around with a groan. She delicately reached out with her hand, resting it on his shoulder. Leo jolted, practically hissing as he pulled himself away.

"Don't touch me!" His eyes grew wild, but quickly settled once it seemed like he realized what he'd done. "I'm sorry. I know that you won't be able to escape Brain, but you shouldn't spend your time helping me. I'm a lost cause. I will only hurt you in the end, and it's not like I have much time left anyway."

"You know that I can't do that."

"Why not?" Leo said. "The spirits are sworn to serve. We must follow every command of celestial mages, whether we like it or not. If we try to fight back…well, we end up destroying ourselves in the end anyway."

Lucy shook her head. "My spirits aren't servants, Leo. They are my friends, and my allies. I wouldn't ask of them to do anything for me that I wouldn't do for them. They are some of the only family that I have left, and if I can return you to them, then I shall do everything in my power to do just that."

Leo rolled over, turning his back to her. She sighed, before standing up and moving to the other side of the shack and taking a seat.

"Who has your key?" she asked.

"No one."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "No one? How is that possible?"

"I'm here through my own magic." Leo sighed, turning back to her. "My key was taken, and with it, my access to the spirit realm."

"Taken? Who could've taken the key? Even then, couldn't you still be able to go back?"

"It was the Spirit King, Lucy."

"The Spirit King…how…" Lucy fell silent. She had only heard of the Spirit King in passing, either through Aquarius complaining about him, or an odd comment from Virgo. As far as she was aware, a celestial being that powerful didn't even have a key like the rest. She turned back to the spirit. "And how did you know my name?"

Leo smiled, his pearly white teeth shining. "You look just like your ancestors. They were celestial mages too, you know."

Lucy did know that. Her mother had spoken of the fact that their magic had been passed down through their bloodline a couple of times. Apparently, one of her ancestors had even held all the golden keys at some point, but they had eventually been lost. That had always upset her, not understanding how anyone could just give away their keys so willingly.

"Apparently, a lot of us Heartfilia's have been celestial mages, huh?"

Leo's smile fell. "I know that all too well…"

There was silence again, and eventually Lucy huffed, crossing her arms. She was trying not to grow impatient with the spirit, but any chance of being able to help Fairy Tail relied on her helping Leo first. With him refusing to speak, it would make any chance of escaping the clutches of the Oracion Seis impossible. Although, seeing as how she would never hand over Leo's key even _if_ she managed to help him, she was sure that they would continue hunting her down for a long while.

"You need to let me help you," Lucy eventually said. "I don't know _what_ I could do, exactly, but perhaps if I knew what you did to anger the Spirit King, I can make a deal with him to get your key back."

"What?!" Leo looked at her like she had suddenly grown three extra heads. "There's no bartering with the Spirit King! He's already declared me to be exiled, so there's no chance it'll work."

"How do you know that for sure?"

"That's just how it works, Lucy. The Spirit King doesn't make deals with anyone, especially a being not from the spirit realm. He's stronger than nearly everything to have ever existed, so there's no forcing him to agree either."

Lucy frowned. "You already mentioned that there have been a lot of Heartfilia celestial mages. I would think that me being one as well would hold some sway after so long."

Leo just shook his head, making Lucy slump down against the wall. "Well, no matter what the Spirit King says," she continued. "I won't be able to ask him of anything unless I know the full story. If you want to live, then you're going to have to share it with me."

"What makes you think that I even want to live?"

Lucy gestured towards him. "The fact that you're here right now."

"Really?" Leo began to sit up, groaning. He tugged idly at a shredded piece of his suit. "How does that mean anything?"

"You had the choice to give up," Lucy said. "We both know that celestial spirits don't last this long out of the spirit realm. Not unless they had both the magical powers to sustain it, and the will to keep pushing for that long."

Leo silence was confirmation for Lucy. She pushed herself back up, striding over to Leo and placing a hand on his shoulder once more. This time, he didn't flinch away, but instead met her gaze.

"I was hoping that you would be the one to come," Leo said, his voice low. He sounded defeated, yet nostalgic. "I hadn't heard that Layla had a daughter until a few years ago, from another one of the spirits. I've been hoping to meet you ever since."

"You knew my mother?" Lucy blinked as unwanted tears began to fill her vision.

"Of course." Leo grinned. "Nearly every spirit knew your mother."

Her lips trembled as she forced them into a smile. She took a seat, remaining close to Leo the entire time. She would had known that she'd help him but knowing that he had known her mother made this task feel more personal. Lucy reached down, gripping her key ring—an act that Leo noticed.

"So," Leo said. He offered another grin, and she realized that she liked seeing him more upbeat. "Shall I get started on my story, then?"

Lucy nodded, sitting down and making herself comfortable. There was only one thing that she knew for certain, out of all the doubts that plagued her mind. She would rescue Leo. From both the Spirit King and the Oracion Seis.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**


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